A Sanctuary
by Katydid50
Summary: "There is another place for half-bloods to go besides Camp Half-Blood." "What are you talking about?" I asked. Not all half-bloods are as forgiving as Percy and his friends. Can they right the wrongs of the past or is it too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians but I wish I owned Nico. But I don't. I do, however, own some of the places, some of the future characters and so on. Anyway, enjoy. **

It was so odd. The storm raged above but down there, underneath the waves, all was calm. It was a curious sort of thing. I could feel the peaceful breathing of the sea, gently rocking me back and forth. What was even more interesting was that my lungs burned, screaming for air, but I felt no need to leave the stillness around me.

_But I need to… do something_, I thought, though I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was. I searched my brain but I came up with nothing. I knew I had to do something, and I had to get to the surface to do it, but I couldn't remember what it was and so felt no urgency. But I knew it was important, if only I could remember what it was…

"Percy." I blinked, slowly turning my head to look around, trying to find the source of the voice. The water made my movement sluggish though I knew it shouldn't have. "Percy, honey, wake up."

I could see nothing but the darkness of the water and the debris that surrounded me. "Percy, wake up. They'll be here soon."

My eyes snapped open. I wasn't sinking in the ocean, I was lying in my bed, in my room. Lifting my head from the pillow, I squinted and looked around my room. Sunlight was pouring through my window and my mom was standing over me, looking down at me and smiling.

"Wha?" Not the most intelligent thing I'd ever said but, give me a break. I'd just woken up.

"Percy Jackson, you're friends are going to get here and you'll still be in your pajamas if you don't get up now," my mom told me.

_That_ got me up. My hair must have been sticking up because she started laughing. I frowned and ran a hand through my hair. Once Mom had left the room, I climbed out of bed and closed my door. Scrambling around, since I didn't know how much time I had until the others arrived, I quickly changed out of my pajamas and into a white t-shirt, a gray hoodie and a pair of jeans.

A quick glance in the mirror told me that my hair had, indeed, been what my mom was laughing at. Frowning, I tried to tame my bedhead with a mild degree of success. Giving up, I left my bedroom and joined Paul at the kitchen table. Mom placed a plate of pancakes in front of me and I dug in.

Paul glanced up from his newspaper, raising an eyebrow. "You certainly slept in," he commented.

I just nodded, trying to shovel my pancakes into my mouth as quickly as possible.

"Percy, slow down!" Mom told me.

I did, but only a little. I didn't want to still be eating when the guys arrived.

I should probably explain. I got an Iris-message from Chiron a couple of days ago telling me that he needed to talk to us and when I say us I mean me, Annabeth, Nico and, surprisingly, Thalia. I don't know how he managed to convince Artemis to let go of Thalia for a while but, whatever the reason, it would be good to see her again.

Chiron told me that we would be meeting at my place –not _asked_, told- but he'd forgotten to mention when they'd be showing up. And I didn't exactly want to still be getting ready for the day when they showed up. So, quickly finishing off my breakfast, I rushed to the bathroom and brushed my teeth and washed my face.

I swear, they have got the best timing because I was just drying my face when they all showed up. Stepping out of the bathroom, I watched as Mom ushered everybody in. They all gathered in the living room. Thalia and Annabeth sat on the couch, Chiron sat in his wheelchair beside them while Nico sat in one of the lounge chairs.

Without a second thought, I sat beside Annabeth, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and planting a kiss on her cheek. Laughing, she turned her head and kissed me. "Good to see you too, Percy."

"Yes, it _is_ good to see you again," Chiron said. "How have you been?"

"Curious," I told him. "What's this about?"

"Yeah, Chiron," Thalia said. "It must have been important for you to contact us at this time of the year."

Oh, did I forget? It was a week after Christmas. I was supposed to go back to school the day after he'd called but Chiron had told me not to. I guess he'd said the same thing to Annabeth. Last I'd heard, Nico had been spending time with his father and step-mom so I guess it wouldn't have taken much to convince _him_ to come.

Chiron nodded. "It is," he said. "Camp Half-Blood is not the only option for demigods."

"We're aware of that, Chiron," Annabeth told him.

"No, I don't think you understand," he said. "There is another place for half-bloods to go besides Camp Half-Blood."

_That_ got our attention. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

"There is a boarding school in South Dakota," he explained. "It's not like Camp Half-Blood but it _is_ very well protected nonetheless, and it's very isolated."

"Ok, so what's that got to do with us?" Thalia asked.

"The demigods that come out of that school are very… anti-gods, some more so than others. I want you to go to this school, find out how great the risk is that they'll wage war against the gods and, if it's serious enough, try to…" He broke off as he searched for the right term.

"Diffuse it?" I suggested.

"Not the term I would have used, but yes." Chiron looked around at each of us in turn. "I don't know what you will face in there but, if you agree to go, you must be careful. From what I've heard, they can be very hostile."

I looked at my mom and Paul, then around at my friends. "I'm in if you guys are," I said.

"I'm in," Annabeth said.

"Me too," Thalia added.

Nico just nodded.

I looked at the boy. "You've been awfully quiet."

"His voice is breaking," Annabeth told me.

Nico glared at her. "It is not!" But, even as he spoke, his voice cracked.

"Oh no, of course not," Thalia muttered sarcastically.

"How long will they be gone?" my mom asked, stepping forward.

Chiron shook his head. "I don't know," he told her. "That depends on how great the risk is." To us, he said, "If things become too dangerous or you're not able to… diffuse the threat, get out of there."

We all nodded in understanding. This was going to be really dangerous. This wasn't like facing monsters. These were other half-bloods. We'd all learned from Luke how much more dangerous a demigod was than a monster. Oh gosh. It was only over a year since Luke had died and Kronos defeated, but it seemed like several lifetimes ago.

"When do we leave?" I asked.

"As soon as everyone's packed."

** Author's Note: This is my first time writing a Percy Jackson fanfic so go a little easy on me. Also, I know this chapter is short but I'm hoping they'll get longer as I go along. Read and review. **


	2. Chapter 2

I stared out the window of the train station as we waited for our train to arrive. My mind raced over everything Chiron had told us as we'd been driven by Argus to the station. _Don't ask them about their past. Don't talk about your own past. And for goodness' sake, don't mention the gods or Olympus!_ Surely they couldn't be that bad. Even Luke -it still hurt to think of him- hadn't been that sensitive.

"Annabeth." And there it was, the voice that invaded my dreams and made my heart race. Turning my head away from the window, I found myself looking into breathtaking sea-green eyes. I never told him so, but Percy was the most gorgeous young man I'd ever met.

"Yes?"

"The train's here," he said.

Getting up from my seat, I grabbed my suitcases, despite Percy offering to carry them. He had his own bags to worry about, and I told him so.

"Are you sure? It's not too much trouble if they're too much for you."

"I'm fine," I insisted. "I'm not helpless."

"I know you're not."

I paused and looked over at him. The way he was looking at me, I thought I was going to melt right then and there. Instead, I smiled at him and teased, "Seaweed Brain."

Not even two minutes later, Percy, Nico, Thalia and I were seated, riding out of New York, headed southwest. The train was pretty crowded but it would clear out as we made stops along the way. Once we reached Philadelphia, it would be a straight shot to Chicago where we'd have to switch trains again. It was a lot of hassle, but it was better than being blown out of the sky by a lightening bolt.

We ended up playing cards to pass the time. Unfortunately, it only lasted an hour before we got bored. The thing about demigods, our ADHD doesn't allow us to sit quietly playing cards for more than an hour. Nico was out of the game after the first twenty minutes. I guess it was worse for younger half-bloods than older.

Once the cards had been put away, we each did our own thing. Nico occupied himself with several comic books. Thalia slept. I envied her ability to sleep anywhere. I wondered about what we'd be facing. And Percy, I have no idea what he did. All was quiet, mostly.

But the quiet didn't last long.

"What are you thinking about?"

I jumped when I felt Percy's breath on my ear. Turning towards him, my breath hitched when I found him so close. My mouth felt dry and, for once, I couldn't think of what to say. He must have realized that because his smile reached all the way to his eyes. Leaning forward, I was forced to suppress a shiver as his cheek brushed against mine. I smiled warmly at the feel of his lips against the shell of my ear.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I teased, though quietly. I didn't want to alert Nico to what we were doing.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I would," Percy countered as he placed a line of kisses down from my ear to the end of my jaw. One of his hands settled on my knee before slowly sliding up.

Frowning, I grabbed his wrist, stopping his hand from moving any further up. "Percy Jackson, what do you think you're doing?" I demanded, trying to use anger to mask just how flustered the action had made me.

"Nothing." He sounded far too innocent and looked far too innocent. It was only then that I realized he'd done it, not to see how far he could get, but to _make_ my flustered.

I glared at him then, releasing his wrist, turned away. I wasn't really angry, just trying to get control of the blush that had formed on my face. It felt like it was on fire. I didn't get much chance though because, a couple seconds later, I felt strong arms wrap around me. "I'm sorry," Percy whispered. The feeling of his lips against the side of my neck brought my blush back full force. I hoped he didn't know how much of an effect he had on me. "What is it you were thinking about?"

"This school," I told him, still looking out the window. "I know how dangerous half-bloods can be if they turn against the gods but… A whole school? I just find it very hard to comprehend that so many could..."

"I know," he said. "But we don't know the whole story. For all we know, it could all be a big misunderstanding. Or maybe it's just a few of them."

"I hope you're right."

I truly did hope he was right. I didn't say so but I didn't think I had the strength to go through with another situation like we had with Luke.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind." Chiron had warned us it would be isolated but Percy said what we were all thinking. Having grown up in New York, or near it, I think Thalia was the only one comfortable with the fact that we were in a town with less than two hundred people and the nearest neighboring town was fifty miles away.

"So, where's this school?" Thalia asked.

I looked around. The town consisted of shops and a few houses on either side of a single street. There was a grocery store, a butcher, a post office and a few other shops but no school. So, there was only one thing we could do: Ask for directions.

Gathering up our bags, we walked away from the train station, trudging through the slush caused by the salt trucks. We headed for the first place which turned out to be the post office. Walking in, it had like getting hit by a wall of hot air. The contrast between the biting cold outside and the warmth inside made it feel like my skin was on fire as we walked up to the counter.

"Excuse me," I said to the middle-aged man behind the counter.

"Yes? What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I was hoping you could give us directions," I told him. "We're looking for-" I dug a piece of paper out of my pocket. Chiron had given it to me before we'd left. It contained the name of the school and the principal's name. "Ovatrua Boarding School."

The man's eyes darkened and, for a second, I felt my stomach drop to my feet. _Please, don't let him be a monster_, I silently pleaded. I hadn't slept well on the train and had very little energy. Plus, we still needed to get to the school and get settled in. And that's assuming we don't have to fight anything or anyone.

"You should stay away from that place," he warned us. "Ever since that school was built, strange noises have been comin' from those woods, gun shots, people go missing. I'm telling you, it's a bad place."

"We don't really have much of a choice," Percy told him.

The man shook his head. "They always say that," he muttered. "Follow the road out of town. You'll come to a fork in the road. Take the right turn, the dirt road. Follow that and you can't miss the school."

"Alright. Thank you," I said before picking up my bags again.

We left the post office, and its warmth, and started walking. I think we would have agreed to take a break if we knew we'd be walking for miles to reach the fork in the road. By the time we finally did reach it, my teeth were chattering, my limbs felt like they were made of stone and the sweat from the walk had frozen to my skin, making me all the colder. Judging from the others' faces, they were feeling the same.

But we didn't stop. We had to keep going. We had to make it before sun down, before the temperatures plunged even further.

We turned off the main road, walking down the dirt road. No one spoke. I guess we were all too tired and cold to try to break the silence that settled over us. We followed the road for what felt like forever but, when we turned a corner, the road came to an abrupt stop. It didn't go anywhere. It just ended. If the others hadn't been there, I probably would have broken down and cried out of sheer frustration.

But, it was a good thing the others _were_ there otherwise I might not have noticed the path.

"Great. What now?" Thalia demanded, looking around. "Do we just stand here and hope they send out a search party to look for people they don't even know are coming? I vote we go back to town and beat the crap out of that guy in the post office."

"It would take too long to get back to town," Percy pointed out. "It would be well after dark by the time we got back. Besides, we're too tired to make it back."

"Well then what do _you_ suggest?" she snapped. "We just stay here and freeze?"

"I suggest we keep looking for the school." I could hear he was starting to lose his temper as well. They were too alike for their own good.

"Until when? Until one of us freezes to death?"

"Uh guys?" Nico piped up.

Both turned to glare at him. "What?" they demanded.

"I found a trail," he said calmly.

He stepped aside to reveal a very narrow, barely visible path but a path nonetheless. Percy and Thalia stared at him for a few moments before glancing at each other, then away. I shook my head before walking over to Nico. "Lead the way," I said.

He nodded before starting down the path. I followed after him with Thalia behind me and Percy taking up the rear. As we walked, the only sound I could hear was that of our footsteps. Nothing else moved. It was like we were the only things left alive in a frozen forest. Nothing else existed.

Luckily, that illusion didn't last long. We had to duck under a fallen tree and weave around several half-fallen trees but, after we passed a clump of close-growing trees, we finally saw it. In the distance was an ordinary looking school. It was made of red brick and was three stories tall. There was a roughly thirty more yards of trees then a straight shot to the school.

I felt weak with relief. We had almost made it. I should have known better.

We quickened our pace, not by much but enough, hurrying towards the edge of the trees. However, the sound of low growling made us freeze. I turned my head. I mentally berated myself. With being so tired and cold, I'd let my guard down. Crouched low and moving closer, was a hellohound. It wasn't a big one but even small ones are bigger than an SUV.

We didn't even get the chance to defend ourselves because it didn't get the chance to attack. The moment it lunged at us, a round of gunshots rang out. With a yelp, the hellhound hit the ground and vaporized into golden dust.

I spun around, searching desperately for the person who had, undoubtedly, saved us. In doing so, I ended up coming eye to eye with the muzzle of a gun. I swear my heart skipped a beat. Looking past the gun, I saw that the young man who held it wasn't any older than myself. In fact, he looked a year or two younger but he made up for it. He had a hard look in his eyes, telling me that if I made a wrong move, he wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

"No! Don't shoot! We're friends!" Percy said. I could hear the fear in his voice and, in that moment, I thought my heart would break.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" the young man demanded, his amber eyes darting from one face to another.

"We're here to enroll," Thalia told him.

He watched us for several moments more before finally deciding to believe us and pulling the gun back away from my face. "Fine," he said. "Follow me."

He turned away from us and started to walk towards the school. Percy walked directly over to me wrapping his arms around me. I blinked in surprise, even more surprised when I felt him shaking. Sliding my arms around his waist, I held him tightly. I was fine, really, I was, and I wanted him to know that. "I'm ok," he told him.

He didn't say anything, only tightening his grip.

"Hey, are you two coming?" Nico asked.

Looking over, I saw that he and Thalia had already started to follow the, I assumed, student. I nodded before letting go of Percy. Reluctantly, I thought, he let go of me and retrieved his bags. Sticking close to each other, we followed after our friends and our soon to be classmate.


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing I noticed when we entered the school was the looks we were getting. There weren't many people around –at least not many I could see- but the ones that _were_ visible watched us with undisguised suspicion. A shiver shot up my spine. What could have happened to make them so hostile towards strangers? I didn't know but I _did_ know that some of the stories these people had were very dark.

The amber-eyed boy that was leading us stopped outside an office door. He glanced back at us, watching us for a few seconds before turning back to the door and knocking. "It's open." At the reply from inside, he opened the door and led us in.

The inside of the office had an air of warmth about it that contrasted harshly with the cold looks we'd received. On one side of the room were several rows of bookshelves, all covered in books. The other wall was decorated with framed diplomas. The opposite wall from the door had three large, floor-to-ceiling windows. In front of the windows was a large, oak wood desk. Behind it sat a middle-aged, gray-haired man.

When he looked up from the paper he was reading, I was surprised by how pale his eyes were. At first, I thought his irises were white but, after a few seconds, I realized they were a pale, icy blue. He pulled the glasses from his face, setting them on his desk.

"Anthony, who is this?" The man's voice was curious but cautious. I was under the impression that they didn't often get visitors.

"Strangers. I found them just inside the tree line. Would've been mauled by a hellhound if I hadn't showed up," Anthony told him, not even trying to disguise the scorn in his voice.

"I see." The man turned his gaze to us, looking at each of us in turn. "What are your names?"

"I'm Thalia Grace," I told him.

"Percy Jackson."

"Annabeth Chase."

"Nico di Angelo."

The man nodded. "Anthony, you may go," he said without taking his eyes off us. Anthony opened his mouth to protest but the man cut him off. "I think I can handle them. They look ready to fall asleep where they stand and I'm not decrepit yet."

Frowning, Anthony nodded and left the room.

Once he was gone, the man stood up and, far from being weak and decrepit, he was buff. I swore that if his muscles were any bigger, or he stretched too far, his shirt would have torn. "My name is Heath Mosley," he told us. "I am the principal here at Ovatrua Boarding School." He walked around his desk to stand before it, leaning back against it with his arms crossed over his chest. "How did you find this place?" He certainly didn't beat around the bush, did he?

"We heard about it from some others," Annabeth answered.

Mr. Mosley raised an eyebrow. "Others?"

"Other half-bloods," Percy explained.

Mr. Mosley frowned though he didn't look angry. Instead, he glanced at the door. Pushing away from his desk, he walked past us and yanked the door open, revealing two boys. Neither of them could have been more than eight.

When the door opened, they took one look at Mr. Mosley and ran for it. Shaking his head, he closed the door again. "I'm sorry about that," he said. "Privacy is not common here. Now-" He walked back over to his desk. "-how long do you intend to stay here?"

We all looked at each other. I just shrugged. However long it took, but we couldn't tell him that now, could we? "We don't know," I answered. "We'll see how things go."

He nodded slowly. "Very well," he said. "I'll have you placed in rooms close to each other until the student body gets used to your presence."

_That_ certainly got our attention. "You think we're in danger?" Percy asked.

"Of course," he replied. "A new arrival is bound to attract attention. Four new arrivals at once is suspicious. They'll be watching you closely, probably picking fights, testing you. You'll want to stick close together until things cool down."

"Is there anything else we should know?" Annabeth asked him.

"Nothing that I can think of," Mr. Mosley told her. "I'll get one of the students to show you around the school. You'll receive your class schedules before lights out tonight."

The student we got stuck with as a guide was competent at best. He was a nice guy and all but he wouldn't stop talking. I swear I hadn't witnessed him taking a single breath since Mr. Mosley introduced us to him. I know it had only been five minutes since we met but he was already getting on my nerves. I would have preferred Nico's silence.

"And that's the painting of the school's founder and that's Jamie Henderson and Max Anderson's room and that's…"

I swear, if I had to listen to anymore of that, I was going to explode. And that was why I was so grateful to Percy for what he did next that I could have kissed him, Hunters be damned.

"Hey, uh-"

"Trevor."

"Yeah, Trevor, all this is really interesting and all but, we've had a long day. Could you just show us to our rooms first?"

"Sure thing," Trevor said, changing course and leading us down a hallway, then up a set of stairs and down another hallway. This place was a freakin' maze! I looked over at Nico who walked beside me and I was truly worried that he was going to fall asleep on his feet. His skin was unusually pale and he had dark bags under his eyes.

I lost track of how many twists and turns we made before Trevor finally came to a, rather sudden, halt. "Here we are," he said. "These are your rooms." He pointed to two doors next to each other. Well, that would make it easy for us to stick close together.

"Thanks Trevor," Annabeth said. "We'd really like a tour, but we'd like a nap first."

"I really _long_ nap," I muttered angrily. Ok, it was mean. I know. He was only doing what he was told but I hadn't slept since halfway to Philadelphia and lugging heavy luggage everywhere can take a lot out of a person. I was tired, hungry, achy and cranky.

"It's fine," Trevor said, completely ignorant of my impolite comment. "I wanted to check on Aren before going back to class anyway."

"Who's Aren?" Nico asked, his voice cracking. If his voice was going to do that every time he spoke, no wonder he remained silent most of the time.

"He's your new neighbor," Trevor answered, looking across the hall from our rooms. Without another word, he walked over to the door and slipped into the room without knocking, closing the door behind him.

I looked over at the others. I was curious but curious enough to want to see who this Aren person was. At least not yet. Maybe after a long nap, a shower and a meal. But not before then.

"Ok, who's sleeping where?" I asked, not wanting to waste time that could be used for sleeping.

"You girls take one room, we'll take the other?" Percy suggested.

"Works for me," Annabeth said.

"Alright." Without waiting for them to decide which room was whose, I walked to the nearest room of ours and walked in.

The room was pretty basic. One single bed on either side of the room. They each had a bedside table and a desk sat between them underneath a window. There was a dresser and a closet but that was it. Dropping my bags in the center of the floor, I fell forward onto the bed, sighing with relief.

I heard footsteps but didn't get up. It was probably just Annabeth and I didn't have the strength or will to get up again. My body ached all over, hurting in places I had forgotten I had. I hadn't felt this bad since I had first joined the Hunters and they had put me through my paces.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep, which probably wasn't even a minute after I'd laid down, I heard voices outside.

"Please Aren! You need to rest." I easily recognized Trevor's voice. Even when he wasn't talking constantly, he still annoyed me. First impressions were very important, apparently.

"I'll rest when I'm dead," said Aren. He didn't have an overly deep voice but it wasn't high either. It was just average.

"That might not be long if you keep up like this."

Silence.

"I'm sorry," Trevor squeaked. "That's what Andrew said, not me."

"Andrew needs to learn to mind his own business," Aren countered. "Besides, he's not my dad. He can't tell me what to do. He's not even a real medical personnel."

"But he _will_ be."

"Yeah, well, if I'm still alive by then, he can order me around all he wants but, until then, you can tell him, from me, where to shove his opinions." I hadn't even met the guy and, despite being him a guy, I liked him already. But, I was too tired so I crashed before I got the chance to hear more of the conversation.

When I awoke again, it was to a knocking at the door. Annabeth was asleep in the other bed and didn't so much as stir as the knocking continued. Sighing, I reluctantly climbed out of bed. Bad move. The blood all rushed from my head, leaving me dizzy, and my body hurt even more than when I'd fallen asleep.

Rubbing my neck with one hand, I walked over and opened the door with the other. Trevor was standing there, bright-eyed and far too happy. "Mr. Mosley sent me to get you for supper," he said.

As if speaking about food had reminded my stomach of the fact that it was empty, my stomach growled angrily. I glanced back over my shoulder at Annabeth. "Alright," I told him. "Just give me a minute to wake _her_ up."

Trevor nodded.

Turning, I walked over to Annabeth and roughly shook her until there was no way she could remain asleep any longer. "What?" she snapped.

"Supper!" I snapped back.

We looked at each other for a few moments before I took a step back and she sat up, apparently as sore as I was. She rubbed her neck but winced at the movement.

Percy and Nico poked their heads in the door just as I turned back towards it.

"Are you guys coming or what?" Percy asked.

"Yeah! Come on, I'm hungry!" Nico whined.

I don't know why or how but I found that hilariously funny. Unfortunately, that would be the last time I would laugh at all for the rest of the day.


	4. Chapter 4

How had I gotten myself into this mess? Sure, at the time, the proposal had sounded good but the moment we walked into the cafeteria, I wished I was back with my dad and step-mom. That was a scary thought in and of itself. I didn't mind so much spending time with Hades but Persephone was something else. Frankly, she scared me, even more so since she threatened to strangle me with rose vines if I ever set foot in her garden again.

Over hundred gazes burned into us as Annabeth, Thalia, Percy and me crossed the cafeteria and got our food, carrying out trays over to the closest available table. Though they didn't go out of their way to make sure we knew we were being watched, the resident half-bloods certainly didn't make it a secret. They didn't glare at us –except for Anthony- but they did nothing to hide their suspicion. I think the only openly friendly face I saw Trevor but even _he_ kept his distance from us.

The sound of the cafeteria doors opening again heralded the entrance of more students. I had thought we were the last ones to come in so I glanced up only to do a double take.

Four students entered the cafeteria, three boys and one girl. More like three men and one woman. Young men and woman but men and woman nonetheless. Two of them look exactly alike, except for their taste in clothes. They had dark brown hair and sharp green eyes but while one twin wore a pale red button-up shirt and blue jeans the other wore a navy blue sweater and faded jeans with holes in the knees. The other young man towered over them, having to be at least six feet tall. He had dirty blond hair, deep blue eyes and dressed casually, wearing a plain brown t-shirt over a long-sleeved white shirt and gray pants. The girl had pitch black hair and piercing ice blue eyes. She wore a green shirt with the pattern of vines and leaves embroidered in the sleeves and waist and dark brown, almost black, pants.

The four of them didn't even look at us when they passed to get their supper but, once they had it, they walked directly over to us. They sat on the outside of us, boxing us in. The twins sat on either side of Percy and Annabeth while the girl sat next to Thalia and the blond guy sat next to me. I looked up at him, not sure whether to be nervous or hostile, but I was definitely shocked when I noticed the hearing aid-like device in his ear. It hadn't even occurred to me that demigods could have disabilities like that. I didn't have much time to stare because the twin in the navy sweater spoke.

"Welcome to Hell newbies." He didn't so much say it as growl it. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought he was a monster in human form.

"Grant," his brother snapped, glaring at his twin. "Be nice."

Grant scoffed. "When have you ever known _me_ to be nice?" he asked.

"When you're trying to get in my pants," the girl spoke up through a mouthful of half chewed …whatever it was she was eating. I couldn't tell. She had mashed everything up into an indistinguishable mush. Swallowing, she looked around at us. "I'm Missie. The clones are Grant and Ryan, and the deaf giant is Josh."

Josh glanced up from his food, frowning. "That's not very nice, Missie." His words were lightly distorted.

She shrugged, shoveling another mouthful of food into her mouth.

"I'm-."

"Percy Jackson," Grant cut off. "Annabeth Chase, Thalia Grace and Nico di Angelo."

My eyes widened, mirroring the shocked expressions on my friends' faces. "How…?"

"Privacy is a privilege in the outside world," Grant answered, his eyes locking on me. I felt like I couldn't move, could barely breathe. The way he looked at me, I felt like prey and he was the predator. "Here, privacy is nonexistent. Not even Mr. Mosley's office is as secure as he would like to think."

"Oh! That reminds me," Ryan said, unbuttoning the middle button of his shirt and reaching inside. He must have had a pocket on the inside of his shirt because he pulled out four envelopes. After buttoning his shirt again, he handed them out to us. Each envelope had one of our names on it.

Taking my envelope, I opened it and pulled out the papers. Inside was a note from Mr. Mosley telling us that we would be remaining in our current rooms as well as our schedules and a map of the school's floors. The first thing I noticed about the classes we would be taking, after I had managed to figure out what it said, was that there was no mention of the gods, Olympus or even anything Greek. Judging by the expressions on the others' faces, they had figured out the same thing. I wanted to ask what the deal was, but I held myself back, remembering that Chiron had told us not to mention the gods.

"Hey, um, I noticed that it says we're free after supper," Thalia said.

"Yep," Missie said. "What about it?"

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" she asked.

Missie shrugged. "Anything you want," she answered. "Some hang out in the music room, some watch movies. Some get stuck with babysitting duty but that's not too bad."

"Baby sitting?" Annabeth asked.

"Contrary to what it sounds like, you do not actually sit on the baby," Grant said innocently. _Too_ innocently.

"No duh," I muttered.

"What babies?" Percy asked.

"Well, we only have one baby at the moment but we've got… what? Ten kids under five?" Missie replied, looking over at Josh who nodded.

"What are they doing here?" Thalia asked, asking what everyone was thinking.

"We couldn't exactly through them out, could we?" Ryan challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Where are their parents?" Annabeth asked.

"Gone," Grant told her. "Or dead. Or out getting stoned."

"You see, for some, this place is the only home they've ever known," Missie explained. "For others, Ovatrua. A sanctuary."

"From their parents?" I could hear the skepticism in Percy's voice and found it hard to believe myself. Oddly –or maybe not so oddly- Thalia didn't seem overly surprised.

"A lot of the students here weren't running from monsters," Ryan told him. "Some were running from abusive or negligent parents."

"But what about the babies and toddlers? What about their parents?" Annabeth asked.

"Some people think they can't give their children all they feel the kid deserves," Josh said. I got the feeling he didn't speak often.

"Others want to be parents but can't cope with children, well, like us," Missie added.

"Or they just wanted a bit of fun and got knocked up," Grant muttered angrily.

As they spoke, my mind flashed back to my own parents. Had I been the result of 'a bit of fun'? No. If it _had_ been just a bit of fun, I wouldn't exist. They would have gone their separate ways after Bianca. But still, I couldn't help but wonder.

"Where are _your_ parents?" The moment the words left my mouth, I wanted to hit myself. Then I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Grant's face darkened and he glared at me before angrily shoveling several forkfuls of food into his mouth. Ryan's face also darkened, not with anger but with sorrow. Missie just looked surprised and Josh's expression didn't change at all.

"Dead," Missie said calmly.

"Dead," Ryan echoed.

"Probably seducing some human," Grant muttered, glaring at his food.

Josh rolled up his sleeve enough to look at his watch. "Still at work."

I couldn't believe it. I had asked about their pasts and they hadn't killed me. They hadn't even gotten angry, except for Grant but I got the feeling that he angered easily. Percy, Annabeth and Thalia looked relieved, probably because I hadn't gotten myself killed but I was sure they'd have a few choice words for me when we got back to our rooms.

Only then did I actually think about what had been said. I looked back at Grant, then at Ryan. "Wait. What? But… you're twins, aren't you?" I asked.

Ryan nodded. "Same mother, different fathers," he explained. "Same birthday."

"Mummy dearest is a dirty little whore," Grant said quietly, staring down at his food, looking thoughtful.

_Ok, don't ask anymore questions_, I told myself. I was lucky to have gotten away with what I had. I didn't want to push my luck.

The rest of the supper was pretty uneventful. It wasn't until I was nearly finished eating that I realized that the student body was no longer looking at us. At least not obviously. They would glance at us every so often but, ever since Missie and the guys had sat down by us, we hadn't been watched so intently.

"Best go see if Aren got fed or not," Missie said, getting to her feet. She glanced at her three companions who got up in unison. One moment we were surrounded, the next we were alone. It was an odd feeling, suddenly being alone. I looked around at my friends who seemed as surprised and somewhat dumbfounded as I felt. Of course, I would never admit it aloud and hoped that it didn't show on my face like it did theirs.

By the time the last of us had finished eating and we had put our trays on the cart with the others, the cafeteria was nearly empty. Well, it _was _empty of student presence, except for us. The only other person there was the lunch lady who was cleaning up.

We filed out of the cafeteria, unusually subdued. We didn't say anything as we made our way back to our rooms. I found it a miracle that we even knew the way. I guess it was only thanks to Annabeth's freakish memory that we made it back.

The girls went into their room and I followed Percy into ours.

"Chiron told us not to ask about their pasts." And here comes the 'I told you so'. "That could have ended very badly."

"You think I don't know that?" I asked, sitting on my bed. "It just slipped out. Besides, Grant seems to be the only one who got angry."

"On the outside," he pointed out. "The others could very well have been furious."

"What? And just managed to hide it? No one is _that_ good at concealing their emotions."

He glared at me before walking over to his own bed. There wasn't really much for us to do except argue and sleep, seeing as we didn't know anyone and it would probably be for the best to stick to ourselves for a few days. We'd probably see what the place had to offer after that. I knew _I _would. Besides, I hadn't gotten much sleep earlier and I was ready to crash.

My eyes felt heavy and dry, as if someone had rubbed sand in them and it had only just been washed out. My limbs felt like they were made of stone but my mind raced and I was completely awake.

The room was dark and silent except for the sound of Percy's breathing on the other side of the room. My eyes flickered around the room but I could find no source of what had awoken me. Then it happened again. Like someone had wrapped a string around my heart and was lightly tugging on it. I tried to ignore it but that only made the tugging worse. Finally, I could stand it no longer and pushed off my bed sheets.

Climbing off my bed, I shivered at the loss of heat. I pulled on my shoes and a sweater. I'd say it was black but it was too dark to tell. All colors, except for the very palest, looked black.

I followed the tugging, knowing if I took a wrong turn. The further away I got from its source, the harder the tugging became. At one point, it was downright painful. If I'd been older, I would have wondered if I was having a heart attack.

But, finally, the tugging eased to the point that I could barely feel it. I stopped in front of the door to a bedroom. Nervously, I raised a hand to knock. Before my knuckles had even touched the wood, the door eased open. My heart racing, I gently pushed the door open more and entered.

The inside of the room was not dissimilar to my own room. The only difference was that everything was foggy, as if a mist had descended but only in that room. It wasn't a thick fog but thick enough. I saw the vague shape of someone sleeping in one of the beds. In the other, unaffected by the fog, was a girl, about my age. Since she was not affected by the fog, I could see her clearly. She had pale blond hair and gray eyes. Even her pupils were gray, making me think she was blind. But she looked right at me from where she sat cross-legged on her bed.

"Welcome Nico di Angelo," she said in a quiet voice. "We have been waiting for you."

**Author's Note: If that's not a cliffhanger, I don't know what is. Read and review.**


	5. Chapter 5

_My nails clawed at the wood, at least the nails that I had left did. Some of my nails had broken off, my fingertips bloody from splinters. This couldn't be happening. My heart raced in my chest and all I felt was panic. I had to get out. Had to get up. But I couldn't. I was trapped. The wood was only an inch or two above me and, even when I laid perfectly still, the wood on either side of me touched my shoulders. _Please, please!_ I silently begged. _I'm too young! It can't end like this! Anything but this!

_ Tears streamed down my face. I would have rather been burned alive than die like this. I couldn't! Couldn't! __I opened my mouth. A scream erupted from me like only the kind that comes from pure terror. _

My eyes flashed open and I found myself tangled in the sheets of my bed. Pushing myself up, I looked around frantically. Alone. I was alone, in my room at Ovatrua. With a sigh of relief, I laid back down on my bed. I was safe. I wasn't buried alive. I wasn't going to die a slow, agonizing death in pure darkness. But, even though I was safe, the overwhelming fear stayed in the forefront of my mind until long after the darkness outside started to ease with the approaching dawn.

When the first ray of sunlight peered in through the window, I sent a silent thanks to Apollo. After the dream I'd just had, being in the dark was the last thing I wanted.

Untangling my body from my bed sheets, I looked over at Nico's empty bed. I hadn't remembered him leaving and I had woken up very early. For him to have left before I woke up and still not be back, he must have been out most of the night.

As if thinking of him had summoned him, the door opened and Nico walked into the room. Although he had to have spent most of the night out of the room, he didn't look tired. In fact, he looked in awe.

"Nico, where have you been?" I asked, frowning. The people here weren't exactly welcoming to us and even the principal had said it would be best for us to stick together.

The younger demigod blinked, as if only just realizing I was there. "Out," he said.

"Well obviously but _where_?"

Nico shrugged, walking over to his bags. He didn't answer, though, as he pulled out a change of clothes.

I glared down at him. It was important that we stick together until the student body got used to us, whether that meant we were accepted or just not targets of their hostility and suspicion. "Nico, we have to be careful."

"You think I don't know that?" he countered, sending a glare back at me.

"Obviously not if you spend most of the night wandering the halls!" I snapped.

"I wasn't wandering the halls!"

"Then where were you?"

"I was hanging out with one of the students!" Nico told me. "That is what we're supposed to do, right? Get them to trust us? Find out how likely it is that they'll start a war with the gods?"

At the revelation, my anger eased until I was left with nothing but relief and annoyance at myself. He was right. Though, how he had met anyone in the short time we'd been here, I had no idea. "So, who is he? Or she?"

"Her name's Alisha. She's about my age and a child of Athena," Nico explained. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think she was an oracle or something."

I frowned again, but out of confusion rather than anger. An oracle? At Ovatrua? "What makes you say that?"

"The way she talked, the way she greeted me," he replied. "She said , 'We have been waiting for you', but there was no one else in the room. At least, no one awake. Her roommate was there but it was like she was surrounded by a fog or something. No. The whole room was filled with a fog. Alisha was the only thing I could see clearly."

That _definitely_ sounded suspiciously like something that would happen around an oracle. "We'd better talk to Annabeth about this," I said.

"Not Chiron?"

I shook my head. "It would be too risky trying to Iris message him and none of us have a phone we could use in private," I said. "We don't want the students here to find out that we're here to spy on them."

"I guess you're right."

I nodded, looking over at the window. "We'd better get ready for the day," I said. "After all, we've got classes today."

Breakfast was more wholesome at the school, though I hate to admit it. At camp, it would probably have been cereal or something. At Ovatrua, they had bacon, eggs, sausages, pancakes and toast. Unlike supper last night, we were left completely alone. Grant glanced at us as the four of them passed but they didn't sit down with us. Aside from that glance, they didn't even acknowledge our existence.

I know I shouldn't have but I felt slightly bitter. We were new to the school. Shouldn't we get _some_ kind of greeting? Even nearly getting your head shoved in a toilet was better than completely being ignored. But, then, I guess it was better to be ignored by them. At least for now. We didn't know anything about them but I got the feeling that doing anything to attract their attention would not be the smartest thing to do.

"Alright. So, what's the plan?" Thalia asked quietly, not wanting to attract any attention.

"Plan?" I asked. The only plan we had was to make sure that no one at the school was ushering the others to wage war.

"How are we going to get "in"?" she asked, even using her fingers to make quote marks.

I just shrugged and looked to Annabeth. She was better at planning stuff than I was, better than any of us.

"We could try to get close to Missie and the guys," Annabeth suggested, shrugging. She bit into a pancake before continuing. "They seem the most open to us."

"That's just sad," Thalia said.

"Not only them," I said, glancing at Nico. He must have noticed but he didn't react.

"I highly doubt Anthony and his friends are going to welcome us with open arms," Annabeth pointed out.

I nodded though didn't say anything else. Throughout the rest of the conversation, I kept sneaking glances at Nico who wouldn't look at me. Why hadn't he told the others about this Alisha girl? Why tell me but not the others? It didn't make any sense. But, now was not the time to question him.

The bell rang and everyone left the cafeteria. We took up the end, sticking together.

"What do you have now?" Annabeth asked me.

Digging the schedule out of my pocket, I frowned, trying to read it through my dyslexia. "Battle training." Well, that didn't sound so bad. "You?"

"Math."

"English," Thalia said, making a face. I guessed that English hadn't been her favorite subject in school. Then again, it _is _hard to enjoy English when you can barely read the words on the page in front of you.

"Geography," Nico added in, his voice cracking.

So, we all went our separate ways.

Battle training. Yeah, great. Except that everyone was better, stronger, faster and meaner than me. I'm not saying that I'm the best but, really, how could they _all_ be better than me? I'd bet they'd never even been on any quests. They didn't fight in the war against the titans. But, I'd never been on my own against monsters before the fury attacked me on that fieldtrip. Judging by the hard, determined looks on my classmates' faces, they'd been fighting monsters before they even began middle school.

By the time the class was done, I had bruises dotted all over my body and hurt in places I didn't even know I had. I was limping when I left the gymnasium and I was sure that I heard my classmates snickering behind me. No doubt they enjoyed my pain. Freakin' sadists.

"Hey Jackson! Can't wait 'til tomorrow's class!" I groaned inwardly. No doubt they came up with some kind of torture for me tomorrow. I'm pretty sure the only thing keeping them from completely slaughtering me was the teacher.

Judging by the looks on my friends' faces, they too had found out just how malicious the students at Ovatrua really were. Annabeth looked like the only thing that kept her from crying was her pride, Thalia looked ready to kill someone and Nico looked just plain sick.

"They're evil. Down right, bad-to-the-bone, evil," Nico said.

"You'll get used to them. Or they'll get used to you." We all jumped at a new voice. Spinning around, I found myself looking at a boy about our age, or maybe a year younger. He had pitch black hair and sickly pale skin. Though, judging by how tired he looked and how thin he was, his lack of color probably _was_ due to sickness. He had a black lip ring through his lower lip and wore a silver button-up shirt and dull gray pants. But, what stuck out most about him was his eyes. One was a deep brown while the other was a piercing blue.

"Right and, uh, you are?" I asked. I didn't like having people snuck up on me and the fact that I wanted to kick myself for letting my guard down left my manners with something to be desired.

"Aren," he said. "Aren McCormick." He held out a hand and I took it, shaking his hand. I was painfully aware of how thin his hand was. I could feel all of his bones and, truthfully, I was kind of worried about hurting him.

"I'm Percy Jackson," I told him. "This is Annabeth Chase, Thalia Grace and Nico di Angelo."

He shook each of their hands in turn but, when he turned his attention to Thalia, I noticed that she was staring at him. He must have noticed too because he raised an eyebrow. She blinked and shook her head, a red tint coloring her cheeks. Despite my earlier distraction, I _did_ notice that she was reluctant to let go of his hand. Or maybe he was reluctant to let go of _her_ hand. Despite that, the way they stared into each other's eyes made me wonder what was passing between them for something definitely _was_ happening.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Warning- This chapter contains coarse language. Just a warning so I don't get in trouble.**

I could see it as clearly on her face as if I had felt it myself. _Oh Thalia, what are you doing?_ I wondered, aching to ask her as she stared into Aren McCormick's multicolored gaze. Despite my more logical approach to most things, I could see very clearly a romance in its infancy, even if they did not. I mentally cringed. I was starting to sound like Aphrodite but, unlike her, I did not wish for the drama that would befall my friend. I knew that she would get hurt, one way or another. She would either end up with a broken heart or be forced to leave the Hunters.

It seemed to last forever but, finally, they let go of each other's hands. Aren took a step back, smiling weakly. Even in the short minutes since he first approached us, I could see he was becoming tired. Even more tired than when he'd arrived. There was definitely something wrong with him, and I didn't mean that in a derogatory way. He was far too pale to be healthy. Even _Nico_ was darker than he was, and that's saying something. His cheeks were hollowed and he looked like he wanted to sleep for a month.

"Aren! Aren! Aren!Aren!Aren!Aren! Areeeeeen!" Aren grimaced, rubbing his temples as Trevor approached, calling his name and followed by Josh who looked surprisingly calm despite the irritation incarnate that was leading him. "Aren! You shouldn't be out of bed!" Trevor told him, eyes wide as if it was a matter of life and death that Aren be in bed.

"I told you yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before _that_ that I'll rest when I'm dead," Aren snapped.

Of course. I couldn't believe I hadn't realized it. _This_ was the Aren that we'd heard outside our doors last night. _This_ was the Aren that Missie had said she'd make sure got fed. Why it hadn't occurred to me sooner I had no idea. But, judging by how thin Aren appeared, it seemed he hadn't gotten fed after all though why not, I couldn't comprehend.

"So you're our new neighbor," Percy said.

"Technically _you_'re _my_ new neighbor," Aren corrected him. "I was here first."

Percy just shrugged. He probably didn't see the difference but I did notice. Technicalities were something I loved, something my siblings loved as well. I would have thought it a hint at his parentage if not for his hair and eye colors. His eyes fascinated me. I'd never come across a half-blood with two different colored eyes. In fact, I'd never even _heard_ of such a thing. Then again, it was rare among mortals so it would only make sense that it would be even more rare among half-bloods.

"So, look, we're new here and we're not entirely sure what to do with our free time," I said, seeing as we had _lots_ of free time. "What would you suggest?"

Aren just smiled helplessly and shrugged. "Can't help you," he replied. "Nowadays, I spend most of my time trying to convince my own personal nurse to let me walk around."

"That's because you should be resting." Trevor muttered.

"And what?" Aren challenged. "Spend the remainder of my days in a bed, staring at the walls? No thank you."

_Remainder of his days? _I looked over at the others but they looked just as confused. I was about to ask what he meant when Josh spoke up.

"I'd suggest checking out a few places to see what catches your interest," he said. "There's the music room, the library, the gym, the TV room, the nursery."

The library. Camp Half-Blood didn't have much of a library. Just a few books scattered around the Athena Cabin and the Big House. "How big is the library?" I asked.

"Too big," Aren muttered.

"Pretty big," Josh said, shooting a weak glare at Aren. "About the size of the gym."

Wow. That was the first thought that came to mind. It wasn't as big as some of the libraries I'd see in New York but that was still a decent size. "Which way?" I asked.

Josh blinked, looking surprised. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off.

"I'll show you."

Before I even turned around to face the newcomer, I recognized the voice and was not surprised to see Grant standing there. His expression was unreadable and his eyes held some emotion I could not decipher. Alarm bells rang off in my bed but I pushed them to the back of my mind. If not a friend, Grant was at least someone we could trust. And he'd only offered to show me where the library was. It wasn't like I was trusting him with my life.

So, I nodded. "Alright." Looking back at the others, I said, "I'll see you guys later."

If I had been paying attention, I would have seen the nervous look that passed between Trevor, Aren and Josh. But I didn't. I was too busy trying to ignore the warning bells in my head and my excitement at seeing the library.

Our footsteps seemed to echo through the empty halls as Grant led me away from the group, through hallways that seemed older even than Mr. Mosley. After a few minutes of walking, of silence, I started to get nervous. Maybe he didn't intend to bring me to the library at all. The alarm bells started to push back into the front of my mind. Grant was, really, the only one of the group that I didn't completely trust. Missie, Ryan and Aren were mysteries to me, Josh seemed to be as harmless as a kitten but Grant was different from them. I could feel it. There was something about him that told me to be cautious around him.

"How much further is it?" I asked him, wanting to know but also not wanting to draw his attention to me.

Grant paused, his eyes flicking over to me. When his eyes locked on mine, I felt frozen, like I couldn't move. Terror gripped me. His eyes, which were normally a forest green, turned a deep blue such as I had never seen before. They were beautiful and terrifying all at once. His facial features sharpened, his skin tinted blue. His ears became pointed, reminding me of stereotypical elf ears from stories. He smirked, revealing teeth that came to a point like shark teeth.

He suddenly blinked, frowning. As he took a deep breath and shook his head, his features melted back into what they'd been before. His eyes faded from blue back to green, his ears rounded again and the blue tinge faded from his skin.

"Not far," he muttered, as if the horrifying transformation had never occurred. He started walking away, quickly, not bothering to wait to see if I was following or not.

I stared at Grant's back, simply standing there. Grant was a monster. That meant Ryan might have been a monster too. And they were students here! "Oh fuck," I whispered. I had to warn Percy, Thalia and Nico. And Mr. Mosley. Surely he couldn't realize these monsters were here? If he had, he would have done something about it.

Turning around, I ran back the way I'd come. We'd gone past so many twists and turns, I could only hope that I was going the right way. Why, oh why, hadn't I listened to my instincts before?

Turning the corner, I collided with another student, falling onto my back. Lifting my head, I saw Anthony jump to his feet, his amber eyes glaring down at me. "Watch where you're fuckin' going," he snapped, seemingly in an even worse mood than usual.

Getting back to my own feet, I ignored his sharp comment. "Please, you have to help me," I started.

"I don't _have_ to do anything," he muttered angrily.

"There's a monster here, possibly two."

_That_ got his attention. "What? Where? How? There's no way a monster could have gotten past the sentries, let alone two."

"Well somehow they did," I said anxiously, looking back over my shoulder. No sign of Grant. No sign of anyone.

"Who?" he asked. "Who is the monster?"

"Grant," I told him.

Anthony blinked then frowned. "Oh, him."

I stared at him, dumbfounded. "'Oh, him'? You knew?"

He shrugged. "Everyone who knows him knows," he said. "And he's only half… whatever the Hell he is."

I didn't say anything, _couldn't_ say anything, for nearly a minute before I asked, "What are you talking about? He's a monster!"

"Only half monster," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. "You weren't naive enough to think that humans were the beings the gods fucked, were you?"

No, of course I wasn't. Tyson, Percy's younger Cyclops half-brother, was prove enough of that. "No. I just… What is he?"

Anthony shrugged. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

I opened my mouth to speak, then shut it again when nothing came out.

He raised an eyebrow then smirked. "Oh, you're scared to face him," he said. He made a noise that sounded like a muffled laugh. "Not surprised. They're always scared and weak when they show up here."

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks, though whether out of anger or embarrassment, I couldn't tell. "I'm not scared."

"Oh? Prove it," he demanded. "Go on. Go and ask Grant Malone what kind of monster he is."

"I don't have to prove it to you," I snapped.

He blinked then shrugged. "Oh well," he said. "I guess I can't blame you. After all, we are an awfully terrifying lot."

"Arrogant bastard."

"Oo. She's got some fight in her," he mocked. "but you've forgotten something. We're _all_ bastards here. Even you."

That stung. Of course it was true but I had never thought about it like that. He took my silence as a sign that he'd hit a sore spot. He had. And, judging from the grin on his face, he was enjoying my pain and discomfort.

"Oh, did I hit a sore spot?" he asked with feigned concern. "I'm sorry. I thought you realized."

"What? That we're all bastards?" I muttered angrily, bitterly.

"No. That you're nothing special," he said. "That your mummy or daddy doesn't care about you or what happens to you. That you're exactly the same as all your brothers and sisters. That you are nothing but another whiny little brat that they want nothing to do with. That you are nothing to them but the result of a bit of fun."

I shook my head, biting the inside of my cheek in a vain attempt to stop the tears that burned my eyes. "It's not true," I said, taking a step back. "It's not."

"Oh? It's not?" His face suddenly darkened, his eyes burning with hatred. "Then what the fuck are you doing here?"

He didn't say anything more to me. He didn't need to. Even after he left, his words echoed around in my mind. _Your mummy or daddy doesn't care about you or what happens to you. You're exactly the same as all your brothers and sisters. You re nothing but another whiny little brat that they want nothing to do with. You are nothing to them but the result of a bit of fun._ It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. Their parents loved them. Their parents cared about them. But even as she tried to convince herself Anthony's words weren't true, a sliver of doubt pushed her over the edge. Leaning back against the wall, she slid down, hiding her face in her hands as tears streamed down her face and sobs shook her body.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: It goes without saying but I do not own PJO nor the Lion King. **

I watched Annabeth walk off with Grant, slightly worried. I don't know if Annabeth saw the look that passed between Aren, Josh and Trevor, but I sure did. They were nervous, didn't like Annabeth being alone with Grant, if even for a little while.

Before I got the chance to question them, Aren suggested, "Why don't we show you guys some of the places Josh mentioned? No point in standing around, waiting for something to happen."

Smooth. He was very smooth, and subtle, but he wasn't fooling me. He was gorgeous, didn't sugarcoat his words and made me think thoughts that, as a Huntress, were forbidden, but he wasn't fooling me. He didn't want us thinking about Grant. There was something they weren't telling us and they didn't want us to find out, at least not yet, if at all. They weren't fooling me.

But they fooled Nico and Percy. Then again, what can you expect from guys?

So, we were led away, through the maze that was Ovatrua Boarding School. I couldn't have found my way through if my life depended on it. I hoped Annabeth's didn't.

"You look like someone who has a lot on her mind." I blinked, only then realizing that Aren was walking beside me. I slowed my pace for him, noticing how he was struggling to keep up with the others.

"I'm just worried about Annabeth," I told him. "I'm sorry but I do not trust Grant at all."

I had expected him to be angry and defensive of his friend. Instead, he grinned. "I don't blame you," he said. "He's a good guy but he does tend to rub people the wrong way. And them him. But, rest assured, his friend is safe with him. He would never harm someone who had never done him wrong."

"And if someone _had_ done him wrong?" I asked.

Aren's eyes darkened, making him seem all the paler. "Don't. Never get yourself in that position."

I shivered despite myself. I had never come across people like this, let alone demigods. Even Luke had never been like this, so threatening. But, Aren wasn't threatening me. He was warning me. I didn't like the way he watched me, the expression on his face as he waited for my response. So, I changed the subject.

"What did you mean, earlier, when you said you won't spend the remainder of your days in bed?"

The darkness left his face, being replaced with the young man he'd been earlier. "I'm sick."

"I gathered that much," I said flatly.

"I'm dying."

I froze, staring at him. He was _dying_? And he spoke of it so matter-of-factly. I felt a shiver run up my spine. _He's already given up, _I realized. That's why he could be so calm about it. He knew he was going to die and he didn't even try to fight it.

"I… I'm sorry." Lame. Pathetic. But I didn't know what else to say.

He just shrugged.

"Isn't there anything anybody can do?" I asked him.

"Not really," he told me. "I tried treatment once. I got even sicker and it didn't help. Everyone said I was crazy for not continuing, said that sometimes it didn't work right away. But, I'm telling you, I won't suffer through a treatment that doesn't work."

I felt sick to my stomach. I had only just met this guy but I already liked him, as a friend. Like I liked Percy. The thought of him dying, slowly withering away then vanishing completely, it made me want to cry. He was too young and, even though he was sick now, I knew that he had once been very much full of life.

I guess I didn't hide my feelings as well as I'd thought because he frowned, looking down at the floor.

"I'm sorry," he said. "You're upset. I shouldn't have told you."

I shook my head. "No, it's ok," I told him. "I'm glad you told me." I placed a hand on his shoulder and had to force myself not to recoil. He was cold, deathly cold. And thin. It was a miracle he wasn't blown away by the slightest breeze. "Besides," I went on, trying not to sound concerned. "I would have found out eventually."

He just grunted, glaring down at the ground.

I looked up, realizing the others had kept going. "Come on," I said. "We don't want to be left behind."

Josh and Trevor showed us the music room –some of the students were playing drums and guitars. I assumed they were Apollo's children- and the nursery –it was impossible not to be awed by just how adorable the babies and toddlers were. They avoided the gym, I noticed, glancing anxiously at Aren who pretended not to notice. Finally, we arrived at the TV room.

Basically, it was a large room with a massive TV against one wall. There was a couch and several lounge chairs scattered around. Most of the floors in the school were made of wood but this floor was covered with carpeting. A good idea, since there weren't nearly enough seats for everyone in the school.

There was a young man laying on the couch, a little girl, no more than three, asleep on his chest. A twelve year old girl was seated in one of the lounge chairs, watching the movie. It was some Disney movie. The Lion King, I think. I didn't pay that much attention.

When we walked in, the girl glanced at us before looking back at the TV. The young man looked over and pressed a finger to his lips before pointing at the girl on his chest. Right. Be quiet. Don't wake the little one. He might as well have thrown us out.

We filed out again, Josh closing the door before he spoke. "It's not normally that quiet," he said. "I guess everyone had class work to do."

"Or sentry duty," Trevor added.

"Or they're too busy plotting, torturing, hunting, et cetera," Aren said.

"Torturing?" Percy asked.

Aren shrugged. "Maybe torturing is too strong a word but yeah. Torturing. They settle things very easily that way."

"Who's 'they'?" Nico piped up.

"No one you would know, I should think," Josh answered. "They keep a pretty low profile but you know them when you see them."

"Yeah. They've got this evil look in their eyes," Trevor explained. "Like a wolf watching a rabbit. And they rarely speak. Mosley would have kicked them out long ago but he can't catch them in the act. Until he does, he can't do a thing."

"Why not?" I asked. "If he knows it's going on, can't he just expel them?"

"No," Josh said. "Because, if he did, he could do that to any of us for anything. He needs to be able to prove it in front of the student body or there would be an uproar, and he knows it."

That _did_ make sense. It was like a courtroom. The principal couldn't be allowed to have too much power or he'd be a dictator. "But what's stopping him? If there was an uproar, what would stop the school from breaking down into chaos?"

"We would," Aren said.

"Mosley may think he rules the school, but, in truth, he only signs the papers," Josh explained. "Myself, Aren, the twins and Missie control the student body."

"That's a lot of power," Percy pointed out, frowning.

"It's better than it was before we came," Aren said. "Only one person held the power then. She was… Oh, what did Grant call her? Oh yes. A 'saucy little Latina'." He shook his head. "_She_ had power. Us? We just keep the peace."

"And how do you do that?" I asked, somewhat skeptical. I'd seen Mr. Mosley. I couldn't picture him just standing by and letting a group of five students running the entire school.

Aren simply raised an eyebrow. "You'll see, if you stick around long enough."

I couldn't be sure but I swear he was flirting with me. I frowned. I was a Hunter. He wasn't supposed to be flirting with me, and I wasn't supposed to be enjoying it. I wasn't supposed to be wondering what his lips would feel like on mine. _What's wrong with me_? I wondered.

When I came back out of my thoughts, the guys were discussing how it was decided who held the power in the school. As it turned out, it was mostly a popularity contest, then a battle of the wits between the most popular people in the school. The current power holders had come to power by joining together against their opponent. They didn't say who it was they'd beaten but they did describe him. Manipulative. Deceitful. Ambitious. He sounded dangerous.

"But he keeps a low profile these days, luckily," Josh said.

"But enough about us," Aren cut in. "What about you guys? Where'd you come from."

I glanced over at Percy and Nico to see them looking at me and each other. Chiron had told us not to ask them about their pasts but he hadn't mentioned the possibility of them asking about ours. From what he'd told us, it would not be a good idea to let them find out how close we were to the gods, as close as demigods could be anyway. But, then, what _could_ we tell them?

"We're from New York," Percy said.

"What? All of you?"

We nodded but didn't say anything more. Luckily we didn't have to. The conversation moved away from us and to New York itself. I phased in and out of the conversation, my mind wandering off. What was taking Annabeth so long? Surely it couldn't take _this_ long to find a library? Unless Grant had gotten lost as well.

As if thinking of her had summoned her, Annabeth walked around the corner. I immediately frowned at the sight of her. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she'd been crying. She held her arms as she walked and kept her eyes on the floor, making her look like she might start crying again at any moment. What was even more distressing was the fact that Grant was nowhere to be seen. _He better not have hurt her!_ I thought. But, then again, what else could have happened?

"Annabeth! What's wrong? What happened?" Percy hurried over to her side, asking if she was ok, if she was hurt, where Grant was, what he'd done. Annabeth didn't say anything, just shaking her head.

"I'm tired," was all she said before walking past us, in the direction of our rooms, leaving us staring after her in confusion.

**Author's Note: Due to the ending school term, I will not be able to update any of my stories for up to three weeks. Sorry guys.**


	8. Chapter 8

"What's wrong with her? She was so upset. What did Grant do to her?"

"Grant would never hurt someone who had never done him harm, especially not a girl."

"If said something like that to the Hunters, they'd beat you up, or at least give you a nine hour lecture on girls being just as strong as guys." I winced. Damn it all. What was wrong with me? Chiron had told us not to mention the gods! But I couldn't help myself, not around Alisha. I knew she was doing it, making me completely honest and yet I kept coming back. Why? I knew this was dangerous but I couldn't stop. I longed for her company more than anything else. I was positive she was behind _that_ too.

"I have no doubt," Alisha said. "but the fact remains, Grant would never harm a woman."

I nodded slowly. I wondered, however, if Grant would still hold up that policy if he was faced with Clarisse. _Now _that_ would be an interesting fight_, I thought. Then again, I didn't know how good Grant was at fighting. Though I got the feeling Grant could very easily back up any threats he made.

"What's his problem?" I asked suddenly.

"Problem?"

"He always seems to be in a bad mood," I told her. "And when he's not, he's making other people feel bad, or embarrassed or just… You know?"

Alisha smiled warmly and nodded. "I do know," she said. "Try not to judge him too harshly. He has experienced much pain and it has taken him a long time to get where he is now."

"You mean he used to be worse than this?" I found it hard to believe Grant could be any more hostile than he was towards them. Then again, I could. If he was that hostile towards complete strangers, I would hate to be enemies with the guy.

"He used to be much worse," Alisha told me. "It is only through his friendships that he has managed to come so far."

I frowned down at the floor before looking back at her. "What happened to make him like this?" I asked.

She smiled knowingly and shook her head. "It is not my place to tell."

I couldn't help but give a weak smile as well. "Ok," I said. "Then, why is there never any mention of the gods?"

The smile slipped from her lips, a motion that seemed unnatural on her face. "The students here are not as forgiving as your campers," she told me. "Many of the students blame all the pain they ever experienced on their godly parent, for not being there to stop it."

After getting over the shock of Alisha admitting that she knew we were from the camp, I said, "But surely they can see that not all pain is unavoidable? No parent can protect their child from _everything_."

"True enough," she countered. "but, as far as they are concerned, if their parent had been there, things _could_ have been different. They feel abandoned."

"Is that how _you_ feel?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "No. I have met my mother," she explained. "I have seen her motives and her intentions. I know her. Most of the others have not had such an opportunity but, even if they did, I fear their anger and pain would stop them from letting their godly parent into their lives."

I slowly nodded. "So is there any chance that, say, any of them would want to-?"

"Wage war against the gods?" Again, she smiled knowingly. "There are a few but only one with the courage and anger to do it."

"Who?"

"I do not know," she told me. "There is someone whose rage boils within them, fighting to break through. Their anger radiates from them. Beware, Nico. Things are already in motion."

I normally wouldn't but I was really glad when the others paid all their attention to Annabeth, though I wished it was for different reasons. She didn't tell us anything about what had happened a few days prior when she'd come back from, supposedly, the library. She didn't tell us anything, not even confirming or denying whether it was Grant that had done or said whatever it was that had upset her so much. Needless to say, everyone assumed the worst. It was all we could do to keep Percy from going over to Grant and beating the living daylight out of him, or at least trying.

But, with everyone's focus on Annabeth's predicament, they didn't pay any attention to me or to the fact that I kept disappearing on them. I did want to hang out with them but I couldn't ignore the tugging sensation I felt in my chest whenever Alisha wanted to see me. Plus, on top of that, I really didn't want to tell anyone about her. And she didn't want me telling anyone about her. Why? I didn't ask.

And, I was _not_ obsessed with her. I wasn't. Just… infatuated, without the lovey-dovey stuff.

"What do you think, Nico?" I blinked, looking up from my plate when someone said my name.

"Huh?"

Thalia scowled at me. "Pay attention, will you?" she snapped. "We're trying to eliminate all possibilities of what could have happened."

I shrugged. "I think you guys should just wait for Annabeth to calm down enough to tell you what happened."

"Whatever happened obviously upset her," Percy said. "It could take a long time for her to tell us and I can't wait that long. What if it happens again? Or what if she's in danger?"

"She can handle herself," I pointed out."

"Obviously not on this," Thalia countered.

I muttered a grudging agreement. It wasn't that I wasn't worried about her, I was, but I was more willing to take things slowly and wait for Annabeth to be ready to talk about it. I guess that what happens when you hang around with dead people during much of the school year. But living people didn't have that long to wait, to be ready to talk.

But, luckily, the argument was dropped as Annabeth joined us at the table. She hadn't cried again, that I knew of, after that day but she looked very fragile. Her skin was pale and splotchy with circles under her eyes. I guess she hadn't been sleeping well.

"Hey," Percy murmured as she sat down beside him. "You ok?"

She nodded slowly but wouldn't meet any of our eyes. "Yeah. I'm fine." She was getting worse at lying.

"Annabeth, please," Thalia pleaded. "Tell us what happened."

"Nothing." After taking a deep breath in, she lifted her gaze and looked at us each in turn. "Seriously, I'm ok."

She didn't say much else the whole meal and, the first opportunity she got, she stood up and left. We had no other option except to go to class, think over the situation and come back with anything we'd come up with.

So, with no other choice, I left the others and slowly made my way to my American History class. We were studying World War II. The irony wasn't lost on me. But, I forced myself to keep my mouth shut, even when the teacher and book were wrong. Then again, no one was really listening. Some students were drawing, others were reading or staring out the window. I think the only people that were listening, besides me, were the ones who had the capability of becoming trigger-happy psychopaths.

Trust me when I say that spending so much time with people like that, it makes you even more grateful when the bell rings. I didn't waste any time with leaving the room. After leaving the room, I started making my way to my next class but, as I turned the corner, someone grabbed me and pulled me off to the side.

"Percy! What are you doing?" I snapped. He didn't scare me. I was just surprised.

He ignored my tone, getting directly to the point. "I want to ask Grant what happened the other day, with Annabeth."

I looked at him, incredulous. "And you honestly think he'll tell you the truth?"

"No," he said. "Not if he really did something or said something to her but Annabeth's not telling us anything at all."

"So what do you want us to do? Stalk him, corner him and force the answers out of him?"

Silence.

"Oh, no. No!"

"Yes!"

I groaned and rubbed my temples. This was going to end badly, I just knew it. "You cannot be serious."

"I am serious."

I sighed deeply. "Alright, fine, but only because I know you'll keep at me until I give in. So where is he?"

Percy opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, frowning.

"Yeah, well, when you know, come find me."

I started to walk away but I hadn't taken two steps when he said, "I found him." Turning, I glared back at Percy who was looking out the window beside him. Walking back, I too looked out to see Grant crossing the expanse of clear ground behind the school, heading off into the forest.

Wordlessly, we skipped our next class. It was English so I wasn't too upset about missing it. By the time we grabbed out coats, changed into our boots and got outside, Grant was nowhere to be seen but his tracks were crystal clear. Behind the school, a few older students were smoking. We looked at them and they looked at us.

After a few seconds, one said, "You saw nothing."  
"Saw nothing what?" Percy countered.

"Exactly."

Then we were off again, quickly following the tracks Grant had left behind. It didn't take us long to reach the forest but, once we had, the tracks became a little less clear. Because it hadn't snowed for a while, several animal tracks, and older tracks, criss-crossed. But we managed and, within a few minutes, we had caught up to Grant though we made sure to keep a distance away.

We followed him for several minutes before he finally stopped beside a frozen river. Slowly, we crept closer until we could clearly see him. He faced away from us, staring at the water. He didn't do anything, simply watching the river for a minute. Then, a figure rose up out of the water, stepping onto the bank but seemingly unconcerned with the freezing temperatures.

I glanced over at Percy to see him glance at me and I knew we had the same thought. A naiad.

Looking back, we watched the two. They stood close together, speaking softly so we couldn't make out what they were saying. I don't think I could have been any more surprised if I tried over what happened next.

Her arms came up and wrapped around his neck, one of her hands snaking into his hair. His arms slid around her waist and pulled her right up against him. Without a moment's hesitation, he leaned down and kissed her. I could honestly say, I was not expecting _that_.


	9. Chapter 9

** Author's Note: Just a warning, Percy is a bit OOC in this chapter, mostly because of just how stupid and gullible he is.**

I stared ahead in shock. When I had convinced Nico to come with me after Grant, I had expected to track him down, corner him and confront him. I had _not_ expected to stalk him and watch him make out with a naiad. I looked at Nico to see my own surprise reflected on his face but, as I watched, his surprise turned into outright shock and… horror?

I looked back at the couple, my own surprise being replaced with shock and, no, just shock. As I watched, Grant's skin started to tint blue and his ears started to come to a point. I had no idea what was going on but I knew it wasn't good. However, when the clothes started to come off I decided it would be better for Nico and me to wait for Grant back at the school.

It took much longer than I expected so we were starting to shiver by the time Grant finally deemed to come back. At the sight of him, I started forward, Nico following behind me. When Grant saw us, he frowned and stopped walking.

"What are you two doing out here?" he asked once we were close enough.

"We could ask you the same thing," I told him. "We saw you out there, with the naiad."

For a second, I saw fear flash across his expression. "You can't tell anyone what you saw."

"Why not?" Nico asked.

"Personal stuff," Grant muttered.

"What are you?" I demanded. "You're obviously not human."

He shrugged. "I'm not."

"Then what are you?" I repeated.

Grant's eyes suddenly narrowed. "I'm not going to attack or kill anyone if that's what you're wondering," he snapped. Growling lowly, he shook his head before asking, "Why were you looking for me?"

"We wanted to ask you what happened to Annabeth the day you showed her to the library," I said.

Grant frowned and shook his head again. "She never got there," he told us. "I, uh, slipped up on the way there and she stopped. I kept going, she didn't follow. I didn't realize until I'd reached the library. When I went to look back for her, she'd left. When I reached where I'd left her, I scented Anthony so you might want to ask him."

"Scented him?" Nico asked. He sounded just as disturbed about that thought as I felt.

Grant shrugged. "Yeah, scented him. After all, I'm not human. My father was a so-called monster."

I didn't like it but I didn't have a choice. Grant was half monster but he was also half god. But not all "monsters" were bad. Like Tyson. Cyclopes were supposedly monsters but they'd fought on the side of the gods during the second Titan war.

"So, we're after Anthony?" Nico asked. It took me a second to realize he was addressing me.

"I guess so," I said, frowning.

As it turned out, it is a lot harder to find a single individual than I'd thought. Nico and I had had to split up just to find Anthony and, even then, I found him on my own after half an hour. I could only hope that Anthony wouldn't be overly hostile. After all, we were new and, even though the students had calmed down, I still got the feeling we weren't overly safe on our own.

Glancing around and seeing no sign of Nico, or either of the girls, I took a deep breath. "Anthony!" I called, quickening my pace to catch up with him.

He paused and looked back, frowning when he saw it was me.

"What do _you_ want?" he demanded.

"I need to talk to you," I told him.

"You already are, genius."

I ignored the comment, or tried to anyway. "Grant says you were with Annabeth the day he was supposed to show her the library."

"Yeah, I saw her, talked to her. What of it?" he asked.

"What did you say?"

He shrugged. I was starting to get annoyed at his nonchalant attitude. Who did this guy think he was? Annabeth was obviously upset and he acted as if it didn't matter. Then again, to him, it probably didn't.

"Well, she seemed pretty upset about something," Anthony explained. "I didn't see anyone else though. I knew it was odd for one of you lot to be alone so I went over and asked her what was wrong. She said Grant had said something about your and her relationship. I don't know what, she didn't say. Anyway, she started getting all teary-eyed and all that shit. She started questioning your love for her, blah, blah, blah. I told her what I thought. She didn't thank me though. In fact, she slapped me and ran off."

I stared at him, dumbfounded. Annabeth was questioning my feelings for her? The possibility hadn't even crossed my mind. I loved her, and I was sure she loved me too. At least, I thought she did. "What did you say to her?"

"I told her that, from what I've seen, so long as you've got a good sex life, you'll be fine, at which point she slapped me."

If I thought I was dumbfounded before, I was wrong. "That is … so completely wrong, I don't even know where to begin."

He raised an eyebrow. "I take it from you're response that you either have trouble in the bedroom or you have _no_ sex life in which case, if she took my word as truth, you're screwed."

I just blinked at him. Surely Annabeth wouldn't believe something like that... Right? She wouldn't. She was more logical than that. But relationships weren't exactly logical and neither of us had ever had that type of relationship before each other. The more I thought about it, the more I felt sick to my stomach. What if she did believe Anthony? What if she started questioning me and my feelings? Or worse, her own feelings.

"W-What should I do?" I asked him.

"Show her you love her," he said flatly, glancing at his watch.

"And how do I do that?"

"Are you serious?" he asked incredulously. "Use your head, that's what it for."

He didn't give me the chance to reply before he walked away, probably not wanting to be late for class. I was left standing, alone, in the middle of the deserted hallway. Show her I love her? My mind replayed what Anthony had said and, as understanding dawned on me, my faced turned red with embarrassment at what he had insinuated.

I couldn't-. We couldn't-. We _wouldn't_-. Athena would kill me. But, if Anthony was right… I'd risk getting vaporized if it meant reassuring Annabeth of my feelings for her. I'd do anything for her.

My heart was racing when the door opened to reveal Annabeth. Her skin was no longer pale and blotchy and she no longer looked sad. Instead, she looked confused and curious, an expression I was somewhat used to. The curiousness, yes; the confusion, not so much.

Getting to my feet, I was surprised when my legs didn't give out on me. Darkness had fallen hours ago so the only light in the room came from the lamp on my bedside table. I hadn't had to get rid of Nico since he was off… Alanna? Amelia? Whatever her name was. Either way, he wasn't going to be back anytime soon.

"Percy?" Annabeth asked as she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "What's going on?"

My mind raced as possible answers flashed through my head. I didn't say anything though, deciding it best to remain silent. I crossed the room, walking up to her. Reaching around her, I locked the door. Being so close, I could feel the heat radiating off her body. My heart beat even faster, if that was possible.

Forcing myself to relax, I wrapped my arms around her waist and leaned down, pressing my lips to hers. I could feel her surprise in the tension of her body but, after a few seconds, she relaxed and I felt her arms slip around my neck.

Keeping my arms around her waist, I pulled her back away from the door. To be completely honest, I had no idea what I was doing. I only had a vague idea, emphasis on vague. One of my hands slid down, sliding back up again beneath her shirt. She trembled as my hand traveled up her back.

Pulling out of the kiss, I lowered my head and kissed her neck. I heard her inhale sharply, her hands gripping the material of my shirt. My own breathing picked up but I hardly noticed. What I did notice was the steadily building pressure between my legs.

I pulled my head back up, which was perfect timing because my focus hadn't been where in the room we were. The back of my legs pressed against my bed and I lost my balance, falling back. With my arms still holding her, I brought Annabeth down with me.

I looked up at her to see my own surprise on her face. After a moment, the surprise faded. I leaned up, kissing her again. My eyes fell shut as I kissed her, my mind going completely blank. I felt her hands slid down my chest, forcing a light groan from my throat. But that was nothing compared to what happened next.

One of her hands slid under me and under my shirt. My eyes shot open when I felt the pressure on her fingers on my Achilles' Spot, sending what felt like jolts of electricity through my body. A deep moan was ripped from me as I arched my back and clutched the sheet beneath me.

When she moved her hand back, I moved my gaze from the ceiling to her concerned expression. "Are you ok?" she asked.

I nodded unsteadily. "Oh yeah," I rasped. "Better than ok."

Wrapping one arm back around her waist, I used my other hand to roll us over so I was on top. I pressed my knees to the bed, not wanting to squish her beneath me. Despite that, I felt her curves pressed to my body. Hands trembling with excitement, I reached for her shirt. This was it. This was really happening. It was now or never.


	10. Chapter 10

I loved him, I really did. I loved him so much, more than life itself, but this was wrong. I wanted to give him what he wanted but, despite my actions, I was terrified. I didn't want this but I didn't want to disappoint him. But, when he reached to take off my shirt, I realized I couldn't go through with it.

Pressing my hand to his shoulder, I pushed Percy off me. Ignoring his surprised questioning, I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. I clamped a hand over my mouth to muffle the sobs but it didn't stop my shoulders from shaking. My other hand gripped the edge of the bed.

"Annabeth?" I internally cringed at the sound of his voice. _Oh gods, please don't let him hate me_. I felt the bed shift as he sat up and moved closer. "Oh Annabeth." His arms slid around me, pulling me close.

I leaned against his chest, my hands clutching at his shirt. I shut my eyes tightly, pressing my face into his chest. "I can't do it, I can't. I'm so sorry, Percy," I sobbed, my words muffled by his shirt.

"No, no. Don't be sorry. It's not your fault." He truly did sound apologetic and… relieved? Pulling my head back, I looked up at him. My vision was blurry due to the tears so I had to blink before I could see the gentle concern on his face. He reached a hand up and gently brushed the tears off my face. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he murmured before kissing my forehead.

Smiling weakly but still teary, I rested my head back against his chest. I don't know how long we stayed like that but, when someone knocked on the door, my face felt sticky with dried tears. I lifted my head again, regretting when Percy let me go and got up to answer the door, taking his warmth with him.

After rubbing my face with my hands, I watched Percy cross the room and open the door. We were both surprised to see Mr. Mosley standing there. I didn't know why but, from the stern expression on his face, I felt like I'd done something wrong, but I knew I hadn't.

"Mr. Mosley? Is something wrong?" Percy asked.

He looked us both over before answering. "I heard a report of inappropriate activities commencing here," he told us. "I thought it best to investigate."

My face immediately turned red at what he was insinuating, even if it was somewhat true. Technically, what we'd been doing _had_ been inappropriate but we certainly hadn't done what he thought.

"Well, as you can see, we're behaving," Percy said.

He grunted, looking to myself, to Percy and back. "Just make sure you stay that way," he said. "Such acts are not tolerated here and will result in immediate expulsion. Good day." With speed surprising for a man such as his size and age, he left.

Percy blinked in surprise then closed the door, turning to face me. He looked more shaken up than I could understand, making me frown. "Percy?" He slowly walked back over to the bed, sitting down beside me. "Percy, what's wrong?"

"It's a good thing we didn't do anything," he said.

"You can say that again."

"Well, that would explain what Grant meant. But I don't understand," he continued. "He's been going here long enough to have known about that rule, so why'd he suggest…?" He trailed off, frowning.

"Why did Grant suggest what?" I asked.

"Not Grant." And so, he went on to recount his encounter with Anthony, telling me everything that was said. At first, I was angry at Anthony for lying to Percy and manipulating him. Then, I was amazed that Percy would go out of his way to track Anthony down and try to "save" our relationship. Lastly, I was surprised by how gullible my boyfriend really was.

But I pushed that last thought away. "Aw." I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I can't believe you would really do that for me."

"What? Track down a hostile near-stranger and confront him or try to seduce you to save our relationship?"

"Both."

He grinned sheepishly. "I'd do anything for you," he told me, making me have to force myself not to melt down into tears. He suddenly frowned, his eyes hardening. "He has some explaining to do."

"Anthony?"

He nodded. "What did he really say to you?"

I cringed at the memory. He must have seen because he wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me close. I pressed my face into the crook of his neck, eyes closed tightly, trying to block out that tiny voice in my head telling me I was worthless.

"Annabeth." I could feel Percy's breath against my ear, making me shiver, despite myself. "Please, tell me."

So I did. My words were probably muffled by his shirt and my tears but he must have been able to make sense of them because, when I looked up, he looked like he wanted to kill someone. "He won't get away with this," he said quietly. I would have been less nervous if he'd started ranting and screaming.

"Percy? Promise me you won't go after him alone," I pleaded.

"Annabeth, he can't hurt me," he reminded me.

"Promise me anyway."

He sighed deeply and nodded. "I promise. I'll go find Nico and Thalia," he said.

I frowned. "What about me?"

He smiled knowingly but sadly. "Annabeth, I saw the way you reacted when I asked what he said. I don't want to force you to face him again." He was so good to me but he was also too protective.

"I'm not going to just hang back and let you fight my battles for me," I told him. "I'm coming too."

He nodded reluctantly. "Alright," he said. He knew it was no use trying to argue with me when I dug my heels in. "Stay here. I'll go look for Nico and Thalia and we'll come back to get you before going to look for Anthony."

I nodded, regretting it when he let me go and got up to go look for our friends. When he reached the door, I said, "Be careful."

He looked back at me and smiled before slipping out of the room.

I took a deep breath and brushed my hair behind my ears. Without Percy, the room felt incredibly empty. And quiet. No, silent. I gulped, suddenly feeling very nervous. Something wasn't right. Getting to my feet, I looked around anxiously.

I jumped as the door opened but it wasn't Percy that entered. My heart stopped for several seconds before starting again when Anthony closed the door behind him, locking the door. His eyes were cold as ice, made even more terrifying by the cruel glint in them.

"You just don't get it, do you?" he asked. "You don't belong here."

I unintentionally took a step back. "We belong here as much as you do."

He took a few steps forward. "No, you don't. _We_ don't grovel at the feet of the gods. _We_ won't be their puppets."

"We're their children, not their puppets," I protested.

He scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me. We mean nothing to them. But, I can tell you one thing, _I_ won't be controlled and I certainly won't be brainwashed."

"Brainwashed?"

"You think I don't know why you're really here? Where you really came from?" he snapped. "I know they sent you here to try to convince us to serve them. But I won't let you. The others can't see the danger, but _I_ can. They don't believe me but I know what I know. I won't let you control us. Mr. Mosley can't expel you without a reason. I practically handed you over on a silver platter but he still can't see you don't belong here. So, I guess I'll have to persuade you to leave."

_Oh gods, this guy is nuts!_ I stared at him in a mixture of shock and fear. "P-Persuade?"

He suddenly smirked but his eyes never changed, which scared me even more. He reached behind him, pulling out a knife, if it could be called that. It was more like a short sword. I looked around for something to use but I knew it was hopeless. My weapons were all in my bag, in my room, far out of my reach.

He seemed to be able to sense my helplessness because he grinned, like a cat that had cornered a mouse. Anthony slowly crept closer, forcing me further back away from the door and window, the only escapes. I looked frantically for any way to get away or defend myself. But there was nothing. I could call for help but that would probably lead to him killing me even more quickly.

The sound of low growling made us both stop. We looked at each other before looking at the door, which seemed to be concealing whatever it was that was making the noise. I took a chance. Opening my mouth, I screamed.

Anthony's eyes shot back to me, his face contorted with fury. He lunged forward just as the door flew open, despite having been locked. Before I realized what had even happened, Anthony was on the ground, on his back, his entire torso and arms encased in ice.

Grant glared down at Anthony, his eyes a cold, deep blue. "You really don't know when to let things go, do you?" he snarled.

"He never has," Ryan pointed from where he stood in the doorway. Neither looked overly surprised at what they had just stopped. He suddenly frowned and took the knife from Anthony. "I've been looking for this."

"Annabeth!" I watched as Ryan stepped further into the room to allow Percy, Nico and Thalia to enter the room. Behind them, Aren, Missie and Josh peered into the room.

"Jeez, what happened here?" Missie asked.

"Annabeth, are you ok?" Percy asked as he crossed the room and wrapped his arms around me, though I was sure it was more to reassure himself than me.

"I'm fine," I told him. "A little shaken, but fine."

Turning, he glared down at Anthony who glared back at him. "What are we going to do with this one?" Percy asked.

"Take him to Mr. Mosley," Josh said.

"Let him deal with him," Aren added.

And that's just what they did. Mr. Mosley didn't seem surprised either to hear what happened, though he did seem sad. He asked Anthony, "Do you have anything to say?"

I half expected Anthony to deny everything. Instead, he said, "All you all so blind? They're not poor little half-bloods lost in the woods! They're from that camp! They've come to brainwash us! Why can't you see it? We have to get rid of them! If we don't, we'll all end up as mindless puppets! Mark my words!"


	11. Chapter 11

I swear my heart skipped a beat when Anthony went on his rant. Glancing around, I tried to gauge the reactions of the students and Mr. Mosley. Unfortunately, they were unreadable. I could only hope that they would think Anthony's crazy rant was just that, a crazy rant.

Finally, after several more minutes, Grant must have gotten tired of listening to Anthony's voice because he punched him in the temple, Anthony slumping to the ground, unconscious. However, when Grant turned to look at us, his suspicious expression made me stomach flip over.

"He may be a raving lunatic," Grant said. "but there always was a sliver of truth in what he said whenever he went off before."

I watched in mounting panic as reluctant agreement flashed across the faces of those present. Mr. Mosley, however, looked thoughtful and none too happy. He looked at the students before looking us over.

Finally, he said, "I will need to think on this, and make a few calls. Grant, Ryan and Josh, will you please escort our guests to their rooms?"

We were forced to stay in our rooms to await our fate. While Annabeth sat cross-legged on her bed, I paced the room. I just knew this was going to end badly. We'd be thrown out, providing we were even allowed to leave alive or whole. I wouldn't put it past the students here to attack us for lying to them.

"How can you sit there so calmly?" I demanded as I turned again.

"Because I know there's nothing I can do to change whatever is going to happen to us by pacing," Annabeth told me.

I just snorted, not very lady like I'll admit but I didn't care. Frankly, I was scared. We were up against a whole school of hostile, suspicious half-bloods who could do anything they wanted to us.

It had to have been at least an hour before we were brought back to Mr. Mosley's office. When we arrived, Aren and Missie were still there with Mr. Mosley. Looking around at them, their expressions were still impossible to read.

"It has been decided," Mr. Mosley said. "You are expelled. You have until tonight to gather your belongings and leave the school grounds."

I felt as if the floor had fallen out from beneath me. Of course, this was always a very likely outcome but it just didn't seem real. Searching his face, I found no sign of joking in his expression. His eyes were steely, glaring at us without actually narrowing his eyes. I got the feeling that he had been tricked like this before. Betrayed.

"I suggest you start packing." That was a dismissal if I ever heard one. We were led out of the office again by Grant who wore the same expression as Mr. Mosley except where the principal was cold, Grant was hostile. He didn't say anything but, from the way he watched us, I felt like he wouldn't need much convincing to chase us off school grounds himself.

Annabeth and I packed in silence. Neither of us had anything to say, I guess. Mostly, to me anyway, it felt like a dream. I hadn't imagined our mission coming to an end like this. I mean, I always knew we would have to leave someday, but I hadn't imagined it ending like this. Being kicked out. And simply for not telling them the truth about us.

"Hurry up," Grant snapped, his voice gruff. "We don't have all day."

Zipping our suitcases shut, we grabbed our coats and carried our bags out into the hallway where Grant, Nico and Percy were waiting. Nico and Percy looked exactly like I felt: Dazed, confused and, honestly, miserable. Looking at Annabeth, I saw she didn't look much better as she walked over to Percy's side, wrapping one of her arms around his.

"Come on," Grant snarled. "Move it."

Without any other choice, we slowly made our way from our rooms towards the front doors of the school. By then, word had spread like wildfire. No, quicker than wildfire, because we'd only just been told. So, how was it that rows and rows of students were lined along either side of the doors, glaring hatefully at us?

Once we reached the door, they let us stop just long enough to get our coats on before the doors were pulled open, students practically shoving us out of the building. Once we were all out with our bags, the doors slammed shut behind us.

I looked around at our surroundings before looking at the others. Coming from the warmth of the school, any exposed skin felt like it was burning from the tiny snowflakes that was thrown against us by the bitter wind.

"Well, we better get going," Percy said, his quiet voice just barely audible over the wind.

Having no other choice, we slowly trudged across the clearing, towards the cover of the trees. No one spoke, we didn't need to. Well, at least we hadn't _completely_ failed our mission. We had found out that some of the students were hostile towards the gods but most just ignored them completely. It probably wasn't the most comforting news Chiron would receive but it was better than he must have thought.

By the time we managed to reach town, we were sore, freezing, tired, hungry and on the verge of collapse. All I wanted to do was sit down but I knew I'd probably fall asleep. Heck, I'd probably fall asleep standing up. The others weren't much better.

As we slowly, and painfully, made our way towards the train station, I heard the sound of a car approaching. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed a truck with an extended cab driving towards us. I didn't think much of it until it pulled to a stop right beside us.

The front passenger's side window rolled down to reveal Ryan and a _very_ unhappy Grant sitting in the driver's seat. In the back, I spotted Josh, Missie and Aren.

"You know," Ryan said. "This isn't exactly the best weather to be walking in."

I held back from telling him where to shove his opinions. It was their fault we were out there in the first place. I was just about to say so when Grant suddenly cut the ignition and the five of them climbed out of the truck. I looked at Percy, Annabeth and Nico, seeing my own confusion reflected on their faces. What was going on?

"Why don't we go inside?" Missie suggested. "I hear the hotel has some pretty good food."

We looked at each other before allowing ourselves to be led into the warmth of the hotel. The restaurant part of the hotel was nearly empty save for a single couple in the corner so the twins weren't stopped as they pushed two tables together to accommodate our large group.

Taking a seat, we set our bags on the floor behind our chairs. Josh motioned a waiter over and we all ordered. As the waiter walked away, Missie spoke.

"I know you're probably not too happy at this point," she said. "but know that we did not agree with Mr. Mosley's decision."

"You said you guys held the power. So what happened?" Nico demanded. It sounded quite funny since his voice broke on the word 'power'.

"He was adamant," Aren said. "He hardly gave us the opportunity to speak."

"What I don't understand," Percy said. "is why we were expelled at all."

"Because you lied to us," Ryan said flatly. "You can't trust someone who lies to you."

"And we need to be able to trust the people around us," Josh told us. "Even if we don't like them."

"We have to be able to trust them if things turn into a life or death situation," Missie added.

"And you can't do that if someone has lied to you?" I asked, skeptical.

She shrugged. "How can you trust someone who hasn't been honest with you?"

"Maybe they had a good reason for lying," Annabeth suggested.

Aren raised an eyebrow. "Like trying to hide the fact that they were sent to spy on us?" When we started to protest, he waved our words away. "We know all about it. Mr. Mosley gave your activities director a call."

"Chiron?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's the guy, or horse."

In that light, I guess I could see where they were coming from, but expelling us still seemed extreme, and I told them so.

Ryan shrugged. "I'm sure Mr. Mosley had his reasons," he said. "Probably something that happened in his past."

A hush settled over us as the waiter, a few actually, brought our food over. We were quiet as we ate our food. Actually, it was very good. I probably hadn't had such a good meal since… I couldn't even remember.

Once everyone had finished, the waiter gave the bill to Missie who immediately handed it to Grant. He stared at her in disbelief. "You cannot be serious."

She shrugged. "I'm serious. You're the one with the money."

"You're a bitch."

"And you're a half-blood river siren but you don't here me complaining," Missie said.

I stared at her in shock. Grant… was a siren? I highly doubted she meant the kind of sirens that were found in the sea of monsters. My mind flashed to a story I'd once heard of female water spirits that would lure men to their deaths. However, when he had called his godly parent a whore, so I highly doubted his father was a god. That meant his father was a siren. Somehow, I couldn't quite wrap my mind around the idea of a male siren.

"Just shut up and pay," Aren snapped. He looked practically exhausted, paler and with darker bags under his eyes than usual.

Grant and Missie immediately fell quiet. Grant muttered under his breath as he dug out his wallet and got up to pay. While he paid, we looked around at each other.

"Well," Annabeth finally said. "this was all very interesting, and thanks for the meal, but we really should get-."

"Back to the school," Ryan cut in. "You're absolutely right. Night is not the time to be driving."

"I think you're forgetting something," Nico told him.

"We've been expelled," Percy said. "We _can't_ go back to the school."

"You can, and you will," Josh told us. "We'll convince Mr. Mosley to let you back in."

"How?" I asked.

"You'll see," Missie said, smiling. "Trust us, not like you have much choice."

So, once Grant came back, we grabbed our bags and walked back outside. Already, night had fallen and the temperature had fallen even further than it had before. Walking over to the truck, we put our bags in the back and proceeded to figure out how we were going to fit nine people into a truck that only had five seats.

We ended up with Grant driving, Josh in the passenger's seat with Nico sitting on the floor at his feet, hidden from the view of any police, because he was the smallest. The rest of us had to sit double in the back. Ryan sat on one side with Missie in his lap. He had his head on the opposite side of her head as us and I was pretty sure he was kissing her neck. Luckily, Percy sat in the middle with Annabeth on his lap. Also luckily, they kept any affection for later, except for him wrapping his arms around her waist.

Finally, there was only me and Aren left. At first, I didn't want to sit in his lap because, one, I wasn't sure I wouldn't crush and, two, I was a _hunter_. Hunters do not sit in the laps of boys they hardly knew. They didn't sit in the laps of boys they _did_ know. They didn't sit in boys' laps period. But, seeing no other option, unless I wanted to walk back to the school in the dark, at night, in the cold, I was forced to sit in his lap. I shivered as I felt his arms slide around my waist. The drive back to the school was a very _long_ and very _distracted_ one.

** Author's Note: I'm sorry to tell you guys but I'm starting to lose interest and inspiration for this fanfic. I'll try to get it all done before I can't be bothered with it anymore but it'll probably take a while longer for me to get the last chapters done. I've already got the last five chapters planned out and the last two chapters after that written. I'll try to get them done quickly but if they come out not very good, please don't shoot me.**


	12. Chapter 12

_"You can't expel them for lying to you."_

_ "Oh? I believe I already have."_

_ "They didn't lie to us. We did not ask about them or their pasts. They did not give us false information. They said they were from New York. That is not untrue. Thus, you cannot expel them."_

"Why did you help us?" I couldn't help but ask.

Alisha lifted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" she countered. "You did nothing wrong so you did not deserve to be punished. Besides, you have more work to do here."

I tilted my head, frowning in confusion. "What work?"

She did not answer, simply lowering her head again. Locks of her pale blond hair fell across her face though she did not push them back. I resisted at first but, after a couple seconds, gave in. Reaching out, I gently tucked the locks behind her ear. Her head jerked up, as if she had forgotten I was there. But her surprise quickly faded and she smiled warmly, giving me butterflies.

"Alisha?"

"Yes?"

"I… I think I'm starting to-." I never got the chance to finish that sentence. She raised a hand, pressing her index finger over my lips and silencing me.

"Don't," she told me, firmly but gently. She smiled weakly, sadly. "I do care about you Nico, but not like that. Another is destined to bear your children."

"Ch-Children?" I managed to choke out.

She laughed and smiled knowingly. "One day. One day, you are going to make that special girl very happy, but she won't be me. The Fates have something else in store for me, and I look forward to finding out whatever that may be."

The next day, as I walked towards my class, I couldn't help but notice the hostile looks people shot at me. Or the way others ignored me completely. I wasn't sure what was worse, considering some of the people that ignored me were teachers.

Anyway, I made my way towards the classroom but stopped. I frowned when I saw the way a group of boys were looking at me. I stepped back as they started to approach. They stopped only a few feet away.

"You don't belong here," one said, arms crossed over his chest. I assumed he was the leader. "You and your friends never should have been let back in."

"Well, then it's a good thing for me that it's not your decision," I told him.

His eyes narrowed angrily, his arms lowering back to his sides, hands balled into fists. I just knew this wasn't going to end well.

"That's a bit disrespectful, don't you think?" he asked. "I think we ought to teach you some manners."

I have no idea where they got them and no idea where they'd hidden them but they all five of them pulled out knives of various sizes. Some had the smooth edges of fighting knives while others were serrated cooking knives, which made me even more nervous.

I stepped back, watching them all warily, wondering which one would attack first. The leader, as it turned out, was the first one to lash out at me. I jumped back, just narrowly avoiding getting my face cut open. The others quickly followed his lead, forcing me further and further back.

I didn't have any of my weapons with me so I was forced to fall back on my powers. "A little help would be appreciated," I muttered through clenched teeth. As if they'd heard me and taken the hint, the sound of horrible wailing stopped the boys in their tracks.

As I watched, the vague figure of a ghost seemed to come out of nowhere, slamming into the lead boy before vanishing again. The group jumped back as their leader fell back, landing on the floor with a grunt. Another ghost appeared just long enough to force another boy from his feet. This happened over and over until all of the group had been knocked over. None seemed in a hurry to face me anymore. Instead, they watched me in shock and maybe even a bit of fear.

"H-How did you do that?" the leader demanded.

I just shrugged as I picked up my books. "Just a little something I learned at camp," I told him. Well, it was partly true. I'd learned it from my dad but I'd practiced it at camp.

Casting a glance over my shoulder to make sure they didn't try to attack me while my back was turned, I made my way to class. I had to hurry otherwise I'd be late and angering the teachers was not something I wanted to worry about on top of nearly getting killed by the students.

As I picked up my tray for lunch that day, I started to make my way towards where Thalia, Annabeth and Percy were waiting for me. Making my way carefully towards them, I noticed that Thalia looked more distracted than usual. Probably had Aren to thank for that. Ever since we'd gotten back, she'd spent more and more time with him. Even _I_ could see how badly that would end but it wasn't my business. Percy and Annabeth were talking to each other. About what? I didn't know. I couldn't make out the words.

Anyway, since they were all so deeply focused on themselves, they didn't even notice as two of the guys that had attacked me earlier grabbed my arms, practically dragging me over to their table. I didn't put up a fight, not wanting to drop my food and dump it everywhere. That would just cause me to get in trouble with the janitor.

I grunted quietly as they forced me to sit down. Setting my tray down so I no longer risked dropping it, I looked around the group until my eyes found the leader. Earlier, they had been watching me with hostility. Now, the entire group was looking at me with a mix of curiosity and longing for knowledge that I'd seen on Annabeth's face plenty of times.

"So," I asked after nearly half a minute of silence. "why am I here and not over there?"

"This camp," the leader said, cutting straight to the point. "You said you learned to do that… that thing at camp."

I shrugged. "More or less."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I learned it from my dad but I practiced at camp," I told him. I suddenly grinned at a memory that popped into my mind. "Scared the living daylight out of quite a few of the other campers."

"Can they do stuff like that?" one of the others asked me.

"Not really," I said before explaining. "Each cabin really has their own powers and abilities, depending on their go-, er, parent. At the camp, they help us learn to control our abilities."

For the rest of lunch, the group kept asking me questions, asking me to explain things or describe things. In fact, the group kept me so busy that I didn't even get to eat my lunch. I wasn't entirely positive but I was pretty sure that, when summer came around, Camp Half-Blood would have some new campers.

** Author's Note: Yes, I know it's much shorter than normal but I can't think of anything else to put in without it coming out sounding forced. **


	13. Chapter 13

I looked down at Annabeth, sliding an arm around her shoulders. She looked up from her book, smiling at me. I smiled back at her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. She turned her eyes back to her book but I just couldn't help myself. I kissed along her neck, earning myself a playful groan and a smack in the side of the head with a book. Shaking my head, I pulled back and pouted. My face must have been funny because she burst out laughing.

After a few seconds, she quieted down again and laid her head on my shoulder. I leaned my head against hers, my arm slipping down from her shoulders to her waist. My eyes had just drifted shut when Annabeth spoke again.

"Percy?"

"Hm?" I asked without opening my eyes.

"I love you."

_That_ got my eyes open. I lifted my head and looked down at her as she looked up at me. "Really?"

She nodded, kind of, since her head was still on my shoulder. "Yeah."

After staring at her for a couple moments, I smiled. "I love you too," I told her.

"Really?"

I nodded. "Yes," I said. "I love you Annabeth Chase, and I will _never_ _stop_ loving you."

I was pretty sure she was going to cry. Instead, she smiled back at me and buried her face into the crook of my neck. I smiled down at her, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Percy?"

"Hm?"

"When we were… you know, thank you, for stopping."

I jerked my head back in surprise. "A-Annabeth, I would _never_ force myself on you. You must know that."

She met my eyes for a second before looking down, one of her hands playing with a loose string on my sweater. "I know," she said quietly. "but you could have continued if you'd wanted."

I frowned, sliding my fingers under her chin and lifting her head to look at me. "Yes, but I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. I would never hurt you, and especially not like that. Frankly, I'm glad you stopped me."

She lifted her head, frowning. Confusion flitted across her storm gray eyes. She always looked so beautiful when she was confused. "Glad?"

I nodded. "Annabeth, I want my first time to be special. I want _our_ first time to be special," I told her, despite the burning warmth creeping up the back of my neck and spreading to my face.

But then I realized how she was looking at me, with her hands on her hips with one eyebrow raised. _Uh oh_, I thought, internally cringing.

"Our first time, huh? You think you're going to get that far?" she asked before I could reply. "You should be so lucky."

I stared at her, not entirely sure what to say. What does someone say to something like that? That was when I realized the twitching at the corners of her lips was not from anger but from suppressed laughter. I frowned. "That was not funny."

She chuckled and shook her head before hugging me around the neck. "I know," she said. "But, seriously, don't hold your breath."

I blinked. "Oh, ok."

The door opened suddenly, Nico walking in. He stopped when he noticed us, raising an eyebrow. "Really? Guys, get a room," he said. "I don't want to see this kind of stuff."

"We've got a room," Annabeth said.

"Yeah," I added. "We're in it."

He scowled at us. "But this is my room too!" he complained.

"So? We'll compromise," I said. "Me and Annabeth-"

"Annabeth and I," she corrected.

"Yeah. Me and Annabeth will stay in here and you can leave."

Nico frowned, glaring at me. "How is that compromise?"

"It's not," I admitted. "You've got two choices, Nico. You can get out or I can kick you out."

He glared at me for several seconds longer, probably trying to figure out if I could carry through with my threat or not. I could. I was bigger, stronger and had the Achilles' curse on my side. He must have realized that because he huffed and walked back to the door.

"Fine," he snapped. "I'll go find Thalia unless she's making googly eyes at Aren again in which case I'll probably go insane and it will be all your fault!"

"Ok, good luck," I told him.

He cast one more glare at me over his shoulder before leaving.

Once the door was closed, I looked at Annabeth and she looked at me and we burst out laughing.

I sighed as I followed Annabeth towards the nursery. I didn't understand how we could possibly get nursery duty considering that everyone hated our guts. I could only hope this was a sign that they were willing to consider accepting us, or at least not hating us.

As I stepped into the nursery, the first thing I was aware of was the smell of baby powder. The nursery wasn't overly big, most of the space being taken up by five cribs, lined along one wall. Against the other wall was a sink, minifridge, and a counter with a microwave on it, a change table, a bookshelf stacked with books and a box filled with toys. In the far corner was a lounge chair.

I slowly closed the door behind me, looking around tentatively. We had been told that, for the next three hours, we had to take care of the babies but, frankly, I wasn't entirely sure what to do.

I cautiously walked over to where Annabeth was standing next to one of the cribs. I looked down at the tiny person inside and was surprised to be met with the same blond hair that I was so accustomed to seeing on the girl beside me. This tiny baby, who looked to be no more than a few weeks old, was left here because their parent, one of Annabeth's brothers or sisters, couldn't or wouldn't take care of… her? I couldn't tell whether it was a girl or a boy because the baby was wearing a soft, white jumpsuit-like article of clothing. Not pink or blue, but white.

I watched, somewhat anxious, as Annabeth reached out, gently stroking the baby's tiny hand. As I looked at her, I saw a smile form on Annabeth's lips. I knew that look. That look was wistful.

"Not yet," I told her. "Wait a few years."

She shot me a playful glare before looking back down at the baby. "I know," she said. "But one day. I mean, look at this. Such tiny, little fingers."

I couldn't help but smile though my smile quickly vanished as the baby grimaced before opening his, or her, eyes. Gray. Just like Annabeth's. The baby looked up at us before starting to whimper. With a flash of panic, I looked to Annabeth for help. Honestly, I had no idea what to do.

She didn't look all that better than I felt. Reaching down, she carefully picked the child up out of the crib. Almost immediately, the baby quieted down. I breathed out a sigh of relief. A crying baby was not something I could handle.

But, that's what it seemed I was destined to get because, just then, another of the babies started to cry. I hurried over to one of the other cribs. This child was a little older than the one Annabeth held, probably three months old or so, and had brown hair and light blue eyes. And was a boy, judging by his clothes.

I reached in, carefully picking the child up. Unlike the other one, he didn't stop crying once he'd been picked up. Starting to panic again, I looked over at Annabeth. "Help?"

She shrugged. "Does he need his diaper changed?"

"Doesn't feel like. Doesn't smell like it."

She rolled her eyes. "Just check."

I grasped the back of the child's pants and pulled it out, just enough to check. "All clear," I told Annabeth before bringing the elastic back in.

"Maybe he's hungry?"

I just blinked.

She sighed, exasperated. "Check the fridge."

So I did. I found several bottles of formula already made up, each labeled with a baby's name. Leaning back, I looked over at the crib I took the baby from, seeing the name 'Ian' written on a small white board attached to the side. Looking back in the fridge, I grabbed one of the bottles labeled Ian, using my foot to close the fridge door.

Walking over to the microwave, I noticed a note attached to the door, telling us how long to put a bottle in for. So, I opened the microwave, put the bottle in, closed the door and set the time. The whole time, I held Ian with one arm, trying to get him to stop crying. My main fear was that he would start the other babies crying.

Luckily, the other babies slept right through it, except for the one that was already awake but he or she seemed content to be held by Annabeth. Once the microwave went off, I opened the door, pulled out the bottle and pushed the door closed. I gave the bottle a shake, as I'd seen parents do on TV, before bringing the bottle to his mouth.

I nearly went weak with relief when he stopped crying and started drinking. Looking around, I walked over to the lounge chair, taking a seat while Ian fed.

"Good job, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said as she walked over and sat on the chair arm.

I grinned. "Thanks Wise Girl." I looked down at the baby in her arms. "Not doing too bad yourself."

"Aw well, this one's behaving herself." A girl. I wasn't surprised.

"Probably not for long," I muttered. "If I know babies, they'll all start crying at once."

She just laughed.

"I'm serious," I said, pouting. "Mark my words. They'll have us running around trying to settle them all at once."

"We'll see," Annabeth said knowingly.

For once, I was happy to be wrong.

I stared at the sight before me, my hands gripping a tray of food. The sight of Nico sitting at a table, surrounded by students, shocked me into stillness. There was no aggression or hostility coming from the students. They looked curious, and I know curiosity when I see it. I was just close enough to make out some of the words over the din of the cafeteria. I heard the word 'Camp' several times. I assumed they were talking about Camp Half-Blood.

Shaking my head, I turned and walked over to where Percy was sitting alone at our table. He smiled as I approached. I smiled back at him, taking a seat beside him.

"Where's Thalia?" I asked. She was nowhere in sight but that was hardly unusual anymore.

"She's with Aren," he told me, taking a bite of his pizza.

Of course. She was with Aren. That's where she spent most of her time now. I guess I wouldn't have blamed her had she not been a hunter but she was and she'd taken an oath. Though, I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit attracted to Aren too. Not emotionally. No, my heart belonged to Percy. But there was no arguing the fact that Aren was definitely good looking. Then again, he was sick. It didn't take a genius to figure it out. Even in the time we'd known him he'd gone from weak to downright lethargic. The last time I'd seen him, his skin had been so pale that it looked white. He was getting worse.

"I'm worried about her," I told Percy, then paused, spotting with amusement the string of cheese hanging from his mouth.

After Percy swallowed, picking the cheese off his mouth and swallowed it too, he asked, "What for? Scared Aren's going to hurt her?"

"Not intentionally," I said. "I don't think he would ever intentionally hurt _anyone_ but she's spending far too much time with him. It's not good for her."

He shrugged. "So she likes him more than she should. I, personally, wouldn't mind if she left the hunt. I've heard some of the things they've got to say about me and the other guys at Camp. It's not nice."

I shook my head. How could he not see where I was coming from? What I meant? I loved him but sometimes he could be a real Seaweed Brain. "Percy, he's getting weaker. Everyone can see it, everyone but her." I stopped, forcing myself not to choke up. I hardly knew him but the thought of Aren dying definitely made me want to cry. "Percy, if he doesn't get any better, she'll be heartbroken."  
He paused for a second, mid-bite, before taking a bite and using the time he was chewing to consider what I'd said. Finally, he nodded. Swallowing, he told me, "I hadn't noticed but, now that you mention it, I'm not surprised."

"I'm worried about them, both of them." I didn't want Aren to die and I definitely didn't want Thalia to get her heartbroken, even if he didn't _want_ to break it. "Aren's not getting any better and one day…"

I let my words fade away, knowing Percy would understand. He nodded. "I know what you mean," he said. "I've heard kids around talking about him. From what I hear, he's sick. _Really_ sick. He was supposed to be having treatment but the first round didn't work and he wouldn't go back to try again.

I shook my head, fighting back tears. It wasn't fair. The one time Thalia starts to develop feelings for a boy and he's dying. It just wasn't fair.

** Author's Note: I know, I know. Don't shoot me. I've put two chapters together. Now, I was going to have Annabeth's bit as a separate chapter but it just came away far too short so I've shoved it onto the back of this one. **


	14. Chapter 14

I could do nothing but watch as the days passed and Aren got weaker and weaker. Finally, he didn't have the strength to get up at all. He had finally stopped fighting Trevor on staying in bed for he could no longer find the strength or will to. What was the point of fighting for something you didn't have the strength to do anyway?

As I stared down at the sickly pale young man, it took all my strength not to start crying. I knew what was happening, despite what the others might have thought. I knew he was dying. _It would never worked out between us anyway, me being a hunter_. And yet, that thought didn't have the conviction it once would have had. The truth was, I would have left the hunt if he'd have asked me, if there was any sort of chance for us. But there wasn't, not now.

I know I shouldn't feel for him the way I do. It wasn't like how I felt about Percy. He was a good and honorable friend. Aren, he was good and honorable but I certainly didn't want him merely as my friend. I wanted him to pull me down next to him and kiss me, to hold me in his arms and tell me he loved me. I wanted things that weren't mine to want. I wanted him, I wanted him the way he used to be, the way I imagined he once was.

"I should probably get going," I said reluctantly, fully aware that he needed his rest and yet not wanting to leave.

He shook his head weakly, reaching out to grab my hand in a grip that was so feeble that I had to bite the inside of my lip to hold back the tears. "No," he rasped. "Please don't go. Stay."

I nodded, sitting back down beside him on the bed. He was covered in three blankets and yet he was still shivering. He'd been like that since yesterday. I know they hadn't wanted me to but I'd overheard the school medics say that Aren's time was running out fast. Looking at him then, I believed them, much as I didn't want to.

I wanted him to get better, to live. I wanted him to tell me he loved me and to actually mean it, the way I did though I refused to speak it. And yet, somehow, I was sure he knew. The way he watched me so intensely with his double-colored gaze, I felt like he could see right into my very soul.

"I'm sorry."

I blinked, both in surprise and confusion. "Sorry for what?"

"I never meant for it to happen." I would have thought he was close to tears, his voice was so small and weak, sounding like it was on the verge of breaking, but it had sounded like that for the past _two_ days.

"Never meant for what to happen?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

He stared up at me with such hopelessness and such guilt that it broke my heart. "I never meant for you to fall in love with me."

I just stared at him, dumbfounded but, then, not really surprised. "And" I paused to gather every ounce of my courage. "do you feel the same?"

"No." My heart felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces until he spoke again a second later. "But I would have, if we'd been given the time."

I nodded slowly, not even trying anymore to fight the tears. They broke free and trickled down my cheeks. He didn't love my, but he would have. "And how can you be so sure?" I asked.

He smiled weakly. "I know love, Thalia," he said. "After all, I'm a son of Aphrodite."

"Nico!" I looked up from my notebook. I'd been going over notes from class –don't ask- when I heard someone yell my name. "Percy!" I looked over at my roommate in confusion but Percy looked just as confused as I did. "Annabeth!"

I let my notebook fall to the bed before climbing off, walking over to the door and opening it a moment before Thalia could bang her fist against it. I jumped back, narrowly avoiding getting punched in the face. However, that didn't save me from Thalia. She grabbed hold of the front of my shirt and pulled me out of the room and into the hallway. It was all I could do to keep on my feet.

"Thalia! What's going on?" Percy asked as he walked out to join us in the hallway. Annabeth was already standing in her doorway, looking at us in confusion. Funny. That wasn't an expression I was used to seeing on her face.

"It's Aren," she said, her face pale, cheeks tear-stained and eyes red. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she'd been doing. "He wants to see us, all of us. Says there's something he needs to tell us."

It didn't take us long to get to Aren's room, seconds really since he was just around a corner and a few doors down from us. When we turned the corner, I saw Ryan, Grant, Missie, Josh and Trevor standing outside the door. We didn't even get a chance to greet each other before Thalia rushed us into Aren's room.

The moment I crossed the threshold, I knew we didn't have much time. He was holding onto life but just barely. I didn't need my powers to figure that out though. He already looked dead, except for the weak rise and fall of his chest. Thalia shut the door behind us while we stepped forward.

As we approached, Aren's eyes opened. The light that had been in them just days before was all but gone. He'd resigned to his fate. He swallowed before speaking.

"I'm glad you've come. I don't have much time left, but I guess you'd already figured that out. I've asked you to come here because when you first arrived, our hostility towards the gods confused you, and still does." We didn't argue with him. I knew why they felt the way they did but I didn't know whether the others did. "Maybe my story will help you understand.

"My mother is Aphrodite. Does that surprise you?" He didn't give us the chance to respond though it was certainly news to me. "My father, at the time she met him, was a promising young man with a high position in a catering company. They catered for weddings, birthdays, funerals, you name it. They met at a twenty-first birthday party, one of her other kids. He'd been sent out to fix a minor problem with the food orders. Anyway, the problem was resolved quickly and he was asked to stay.

"They met, talked, got _really_ drunk, _he_ did anyway. They ended up back at a hotel and one thing led to another. And then I was born. They saw each other several times after that, got to know each other quite well, actually. Anyway, I was dropped off with him. Of course, he didn't see it coming.

"I don't think he saw her at all after that. _I_ certainly never saw her. The company went broke when I was about two. He lost everything, everything but me. He started drinking, getting drunk every night. He'd always had a horrible temper but it got out of control when he got drunk, which was every night."

He paused, taking a deep breath. I could see the anger in his face and I was sure I knew what was coming. I was right.

"He was angry at the world, angry over everything he lost, and he took it out on me. Me being so young when it started, it was a miracle he didn't kill me. That went on until I was twelve. I'd helped another kid rob this guy on the street one night. Don't hold it against me. I needed money for food and I certainly wasn't getting any from the old man. Anyway, the guy had had a gun so we took that too. I took the gun since it was of no use to the other kid. The next night, when my father got drunk and started beating me, I pulled the gun on him. That was the first time I'd ever seen him show any restraint towards me.

"He asked where I got the gun then demanded that I hand it over to him. I refused. He started yelling at me and I started yelling back. He went to hit me again and I pulled the trigger. He was dead before he hit the ground.

"I left after that, knowing that someone would have heard the gunshot. I took the gun with me, not wanting to leave any evidence.

"I travelled around for the next year, fighting off monsters and trying to figure out what they were and why they were after me. I came across this other half-blood and he told me about what we were, about monsters. We stuck together for a few weeks and, in that time, he told me he'd heard about this camp on Long Island that trained people like us to help us survive. He told me what he'd heard about… quests and the gods. But I didn't want to go there. After he'd first told me about the gods, I started to question things. 'Why had my mother left me with him? She must have known what he was like.' I got angry. The two of us got into a fight. Unfortunately for him, I still had the gun on me. I saw red and, when I came back to reality, he was on the ground, bleeding from a bullet hole in his shoulder. I got him to the nearest hospital and ran.

"I knew… going to this camp would be safest for me but I wanted nothing to do with the gods, _especially_ not my mother. So, I headed in the opposite direction. About another year later, I came across another half-blood who… told me about this place. It sounded like the kind of place I could learn to survive without having anything… to do with the woman who… had abandoned me to my father. So, I… came here."

After he'd finished the story, he had to take a minute to catch his breath. I could see he was fading, fast. It must have taken all his strength just to be able to speak anymore. Once he finally caught his breath, he turned his eyes on a crying Thalia.

She sat on the bed beside him as he took her hand. "Can you… give a message to my… mother?"

She nodded. I knew it took all her control not to start bawling. She probably didn't trust her voice.

"Tell her… that I'm sorry… for whatever it was… I'd done… to make her… not want me." I flinched. Despite his words, I knew he wasn't sorry at all. He was hoping that she would grieve for him. If he truly thought that, this would be like rubbing salt in an open wound. He wasn't sorry and, despite how much he seemed to have changed from the time when he'd first found out about his godly parent, he wanted to hurt his mother one more time for abandoning him.

I looked at Percy and Annabeth and knew they'd come to the same conclusion, yet Thalia nodded anyway as she started sobbing.

Turning to us, Aren asked, "Could you please… wait outside? … Send the… others in?"

We did as he asked, leaving Thalia with him while the others filed in. I watched as the door closed after them, leaving me in the hallway with Percy and Annabeth. We stood there in silence. I could hear people speaking inside the room but couldn't make out what they were saying.

We stood there for several minutes before I felt a chill. I looked over at the door. "He's gone," I said a second before I heard Thalia crying out Aren's name.


	15. The Letter

_3/3/20__

_ Dear Chiron, _

_ Though much time has passed since our last correspondence, I hope this letter finds you in good health and your campers in good spirits. _

_Although it may seem like I go out of my way to stop half-bloods from going to your camp, that is not the case, and never has been, but I hope you will not hold it against me that I give them another option. I cannot forget the pain that I experienced at that camp. It was not your fault, though, so don't blame yourself, as I know you have a tendency to do. My pain could not have been avoided. Though, that said, I did not want others to go through the same thing and so I took up my position here at Ovatrua, hoping that in keeping the half-bloods from outside influence that they would develop their own opinions without having to go through the trials. As you well know, I was wrong._

_I apologize that this letter is so dismal but it cannot be avoided._

_Much has happened since your demigods left Ovatrua, their presence having had a profound affect on the students. I am pleased to say that many of the students have left the school with the intention of going to Camp Half-Blood, despite it still being the school year. So, prepare yourself. You're about to have an influx of new campers, providing that they have not already arrived. Oh, and you may want to warn the gods that many of their children are going to be a lot closer. I want to say not to expect any trouble but it is impossible to predict how the students will react to being so close to Olympus and their godly parents._

_I will not bore you with the details that led to many of the students leaving. Simply, I think, it was how your campers accepted their godly parents for who they are, and how forgiving the campers are. As you are well aware, very few of the students were/are capable of such things and I think it amazed them. Of course, that is just my opinion._

_If the loss of the student body continues like it has been, the school will be closed by the next school year. Even though I have put several decades of my life into this school, I will not be sad to see it closed. Too much pain resides in these walls. Finally, the students are getting the chance to heal._

_Now, I'm sure Percy and the others will be wondering how their friends are faring. It is my pleasure to tell you that Josh has been accepted to Harvard University and has been attending since the fall. Missie and Ryan have moved to Chicago and are starting jobs at a photography agency. Grant has bought a bar in Nashville, Tennessee with his naiad girlfriend –who is now pregnant- and, though I am /somewhat/ proud of him, I fear he may be incorrigible. He still refuses to make peace with either of his parents and has even threatened to kill his father if he ever contacted Grant again. But, that is only what I have heard. I am going down to visit him for Christmas so I will get the chance to gauge the situation for myself. And, no, I am not going just for the beer and entertainment. Shame on you, Chiron, for thinking so lowly of me, and don't deny that you were. I am not the same man I was when I left Camp Half-Blood all those years ago._

_Alisha has decided to remain at the school with me until it closes. After that, I'm not sure where she intends to go. I'm not even sure that /she/ knows. I have gotten into contact with her father who, although wary, said he will welcome her back home. But it is up to her where she decides to go._

_Anthony is no longer a problem. I'm not sure who did it but I'm not looking into it too deeply. He had made several enemies and he was delusional. It wouldn't be hard for anyone to end it for him. Also, next time you see Hermes, tell him to stop having kids! Every time he has kids, something /always/ go wrong. In this generation alone he's had one traitor, two kleptomaniacs and one maniac! But, at least Percy and his friends should rest easy knowing Anthony is no longer a threat._

_Speaking of Percy and his friends, I have received word of Percy and Annabeth's engagement. Give them my congratulations and best wishes for the future. Some people may think they are too young to think of marriage but shared danger and near-death experiences have a way of bringing people together in a way that nothing else can._

_Anyway, I have rambled on for long enough. Please, write back soon. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Heath Mosley_

Chiron looked up from the letter, looking out over the camp from where he sat on the porch of the Big House. Already, he could see several new campers. It wasn't that hard to spot them with so many of the regular campers still away at their various schools. New campers were coming in everyday, in larger and larger groups.

_We're going to have to build bigger cabins_, he thought. Already, the cabins were starting to fill up and the regulars weren't even back yet. He guessed that, by the time everyone had arrived from their schools and Ovatrua, the camp will have tripled in campers. _Annabeth is going to have a field day_. That was providing that she could take a break from her job rebuilding Olympus.

But, the letter brought forward a memory from over thirty years ago. He could see a young man sitting under the tree near the lake, glowering at anyone that came near. In hindsight, he realized that it was not anger that kept Heath from making friends, but the fear of being hurt again. Heath had never told anyone what it was that had made him so scared of emotional attachment, no matter how small, but Chiron sensed that it had left him hurting long after he had come to and left Camp Half-Blood.

_But he's not hurting anymore_, he reminded himself.

"Chiron! Ricky stole my diary and won't give it back!"

"She's lying! I don't have it!"

Sighing, Chiron folded the letter up and slid it back into its envelope. Ever since new campers had started arriving, he felt more like a babysitter than an activities director. But he didn't mind. "Ricky, give her back her diary," he called as he stepped down off the porch, walking towards where the two new campers were fighting.


	16. The Wedding

The day was absolutely perfect. The sky was clear, allowing sunlight to shine down on the guests that were seated before the altar. Of course, this was no ordinary wedding. Normal weddings didn't have gods in attendance. Normal weddings weren't between two demigods. Normal weddings weren't conducted by a centaur whose normal job was activities director at a camp of half-bloods.

But no one seemed to notice, especially not the groom who, at this point, was having trouble standing still for more than two seconds.

"Nico, will you calm down already?" Percy snapped quietly.

"I _can't_," Nico told him. "I feel like I can't breathe and if I stand in one spot for more than a second, I'll explode. Is this what you felt like when you and Annabeth got married?"

"Pretty much. Get used to it. You'll get the feeling a lot."

That did _not_ reassure him. After sending a glare at his best man, he let his eyes drift over the seated guests. The front row was taken up mostly by the gods that decided to show up. Hera and Artemis were, understandably, not present. Persephone, to Nico's surprise, was, though he got the feeling she wasn't very happy about it, judging by the look on her face. Her mother was seated beside her with Hades on her other side.

Poseidon and Athena were seated only a seat apart, their six week old grandson asleep in a carrier on the seat between them. Ares was present but he was too busy picking something out from under his fingernails with a knife to bother paying attention. Zeus, seated beside him, smacked him across the back of the head, quietly lecturing him about something, probably for using his knife to clean his fingernails. Aphrodite was seated on Ares' other side, looking quite pleased with herself. However, her husband was not present, having gotten out of attending due to having to get a piece done by a certain, unreasonably close, deadline. Apollo and Hermes were busy, scrolling through their chosen piece of technology. Dionysius was seated closest to the drinks, on a one-day release from his ban on wine.

In the rows behind the gods, various demigod and creature friends were seated, among them some students whom they'd met at Ovatrua.

Nico couldn't help but smile. Despite all the time they'd known each other, Grover was still sending nervous glances at Tyson. His wife, Juniper, whispered something in his ear. Grover muttered something back but still looked jumpy.

Missie was seated between the twins, talking quietly to her husband. Ryan smiled and said something back to her. On Missie's other side, Grant sat with his arms wrapped around a young child, probably only four or ive. Beside him sat the naiad Nico and Percy had seen him making out with that winter's day all those years ago, her stomach enlarged with another child. Josh had been unable to attend, having to do a lecture Portugal.

Finally, the music started up. Nico watched as Annabeth turned the corner and walked up the aisle. She wore a short-sleeved, pastel blue dress that stopped at her knees. She did look very pretty, despite the weight she still carried from her pregnancy. With all the working out she did, she'd be slim again in no time.

His eyes darted back up the aisle and he thought his heart would stop. His breathing certainly did, until Percy hit him on the back, forcing him to inhale. He watched as Thalia slowly made her way up the aisle. Her dress was short-sleeved as well but it stopped just above her ankles. Luckily, it was very light, otherwise she would have been cooking. The thought of her sweat-soaked body popped into his mind and he had to force his thoughts elsewhere. Those type of thoughts affected him and he was sure Thalia would never forgive him if that effect showed, on their wedding day of all days. Plus, he'd probably die from embarrassment.

When Thalia finally reached the altar and handed her bouquet off to Annabeth, the ceremony began.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two demigods in the sacred bond of matrimony."

He, personally, thought that whole sentence was a joke, especially considering how they came into existence. He'd pointed that out to Thalia a few weeks ago. She'd hit him and told him several things he refused to repeat.

"If there is anyone here today who thinks these two should not be married," Chiron continued. "Let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

No one spoke though he was sure at least _one_ of the gods would have liked to.

"Thalia, do you take Nico Emilio di Angelo to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love, honor and cherish him, for so long as you both shall live?"

Thalia turned her electric blue eyes from Chiron to Nico and he felt like he could get lost in those blue orbs. "I do."

"And do you, Nico, take Thalia Adrianna Grace to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honor and cherish her for so long as you both shall live?"

It felt like time stood still and everything and everyone froze in place. He wanted to open his mouth and say those two words that would bind them together forever but he couldn't move. His eyes drifted up, landing on a spot over Thalia's shoulder.

Leaning against a tree was a vague figure but, as he watched, the figure became recognizable. Aren wasn't as he'd last seen him, sick, thin and dying. He looked strong and playful, as Nico had always imagined him. He wore all white, except for his black lip ring. Aren's multicolored gaze twinkled with mischief.

'_Well? What are you waiting for?_' Aren's voice echoed in his mind. '_Say 'I do', you dolt._' Despite his snappish words, Aren winked at Nico before fading away.

Nico's eyes darted back to Thalia who was watching him with a nervous expression and he realized they were still waiting for his response. "I do."

Thalia visibly relaxed, smiling warmly with tears forming in her eyes.

Chiron turned to Percy. "The rings?"

Percy dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out the two rings, handing them over to Chiron who, in turn, handed them to Nico and Thalia. "Thalia," he said. "as you put this ring on his finger, say, 'With this ring, I thee wed'."

The ring itself felt cold against Nico's skin but Thalia's words filled him with a warmth that chased away any discomfort. "With this ring, I thee wed."

"And, Nico, as you put this ring on her finger, say, 'With this ring, I thee wed'."

So, he did, the words pouring from his mouth as if they were as natural as breathing.

Grinning, Chiron concluded, "By the powers invested in me by the gods present and the state of New York, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may-"

He didn't even wait for him to finish the sentence. Reaching out, he grabbed Thalia around the waist and crashed his lips onto hers. After some momentary shock, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"-um, _continue_ kissing the bride."

Yes, it was an absolutely perfect day.

** Author's Note: Well, that's it. I know the last chapters are really… not good, and I apologize for that. But, I finally got them all done. I hope you enjoyed the story.**


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